Over The Summer
by Froggyy1
Summary: The first 11 chapters are written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 gives some more explanation of why the care of this story is given to Froggyy1. Chapter 21 is now up. Thanks again for reading and remember review
1. The Letter

**A Note from the original author and her sister (who wrote this for her)**

**Hello readers. If you have been with this story for a while, you know of the  
changes in authors. If you are new to this story, please know that the first  
11 chapters were written by a different author, SimplyComplex.  
Unfortunately, she was involved in a car accident and lost her sight, making it hard to continue the story by her self. Froggyy1, the current author, agreed to take over the story for her. All give Froggyy1 a big round of applause, without her this story would have died! Thank you to all of the  
people who reviewed while SimplyComplex was writing this, she greatly  
appreciated it and is disappointed that she couldn't continue, and thank you to everyone who continues to read and review this story, it is still much appreciated.******

A/N: As you can tell, since I'm posting this on Valentine's day, I have no social life. It will eventually be a romance, isn't quite yet, and I'm trying for a plot, but I just type what my hands write. It is a Harry/Ginny, summer after 5th year fic. I was trying for something original, but with over 10,000 stories I doubt it's the only one of its kind. Please review, even flames, they'll at least keep me warm in this stupid weather.(I live in Maine, and it's kind of cold, plus I just got back from a snowmobile trip )  
  
-  
  
It was the summer after Harry's fifth year. The Dursley's had completely ignored him for the few weeks he had been there until yesterday, when they told him they were going on a trip to the States.  
  
"Get down here boy!"  
  
"Yes Uncle Vernon?"  
  
"Mrs. Figg is sick so you'll have to stay home alone. We're just about ready to leave. Petunia left some money on the counter for food. Don't touch anything, keep the house clean, and stay out of our rooms. Absolutely NO funny business! Got it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. We're leaving now, we'll be back August 2nd."  
  
Harry quickly counted in his head. Today was July 12th, so he would be alone a full 3 weeks. Harry suspected the only reason they had left him money was because of Moody's warning.  
  
Harry retreated to his room, where he grabbed a bottle of aspirin and downed a couple pills. He had bought it near the beginning of vacation to see if it would work on his scar pains. It did, but he only took it so often, because of stories he had heard on the news of housewives becoming addicted to painkillers. He did not need anymore problems to deal with.  
  
Hedwig flew in his window with a letter for him. It was from Ron. He was worried because Harry wouldn't write to him or Hermione. In fact, the only letters he had written were short one or two sentence letters to the order members so the wouldn't decapitate the Dursley's and whisk him away to Grimmauld Place. That was the last place he wanted to be right now.  
  
Along with the scar pains, he had been having nightmares about what the death-eaters did. It was only every couple of weeks that he had the nightmares, but he could feel the victims pain, could feel the cruciatus curses as if they were being cast directly on him. After these dreams he would wake up shaking and still feeling the pain. Depending on the length of the cruciatus curse, the shaking would usually go away in a few days.  
  
He didn't have much of an appetite anymore, and the pain and tremors made it hard to function. In the first week of vacation, he almost gave up on happiness and life, but the prophecy made him change his mind. If he gave up there was no hope left. Voldemort would stop at nothing, and would most likely take over the world with no one to stop him.  
  
Harry woke at about six-thirty. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. He went downstairs to fix something to eat, having had nothing since breakfast, which consisted of half a grapefruit. He grabbed some leftover chicken, and made himself a sandwich. He had just finished when an owl flew in with a letter.  
  
Dear Harry,  
How are you doing? Ron and Hermione are quite worried that you will  
not reply to their letters. I know you are still grieving, but it is  
unhealthy to isolate yourself so much. Moody, Remus, Arthur and I have  
decided it would be best to send someone to stay with you. Ron and  
Hermione would love to come, but they are still recovering. We would  
like to send Ginny. Don't worry about the Dursley's, we know they're  
not there right now. And no its not a repeat of the best kept garden  
award, we had nothing to do with it. Please don't try to argue, just  
send a reply, and Ginny and Arthur will be there tomorrow.  
Love,  
Mrs. Weasley  
  
Harry knew better than to argue. He scribbled a reply and sent the owl on its way. He supposed it wouldn't be too bad. He and Ginny had been getting to know each other better through the DA. He pondered for a moment Mrs. Weasley's reaction to him being home alone, then went into the living room to listen to the radio and lay on the sofa. After a couple hours he was asleep again.  
  
Harry was walking through a strange house. Something bid him enter a room on the left. He entered what looked like a study. There was a desk, books, and someone in a high-back chair facing away from Harry. There was a knock on the door, which Harry now realized he had walked right through. He knew what that meant. Another nightmare. He always seemed to be a ghostly spectator to these horrible events.  
  
"Come in." a voice commanded from the chair behind the desk. A death-eater walked in and kneeled before the desk.  
  
"Do you have it?"  
  
"Not yet, Master." A strangely familiar voice answered.  
  
"What do you mean. I gave you a deadline, I expected this for use quite soon." The voice, who Harry knew was Voldemort said, getting angry.  
  
"These things cannot be rushed, if you want them to work properly, Master." The death-eater, Snape, Harry realized, said.  
  
"Crucio" Snape was writhing on the floor in pain, all dignity gone. Harry knew he looked the same. Harry knew not how long the curse lasted, only that he was beginning to almost feel sorry for his potions master. Suddenly the curse was lifted, and the pain dulled.  
  
"When will they be ready?"  
  
"A week." he croaked out.  
  
"They better be. Dismissed."  
  
"Yes master." He backed out of the room, and closed the door, stumbling slightly.  
  
When Harry woke up he could still feel dull pain all over, and he was trembling. He went into the bathroom and splashed cool water on his face. He could see bruises forming on his arms from thrashing around, and his scar standing out livid red against his pale face. Grabbing a drink of water from the kitchen, he slowly headed upstairs to his own room. He looked at the clock. It was midnight. He hoped the trembling would go away by the time Mr. Weasley got there. It was only a short curse, so he would most likely feel better after some rest. -  
  
A/N: So? Please review, they keep me writing faster. So press that square little button down there and make me happy!


	2. The Arrival

A/N: Another chapter. I decided to post more than one today, having written three chapters. Hope you enjoy, please review. -  
  
When Harry woke up that morning, he felt considerably better. Looking around his room, he realized he better pick it up, as Ginny would most likely have to stay in his room. He was a little ashamed of the way he had let things get. Clothing, clean and dirty, muggle and wizard, was scattered everywhere, mixed with books and school things. He threw a load of laundry into the wash, took a shower and threw on some clean clothes that actually fit. At the beginning of the summer he had bought himself some decent muggle clothes.  
  
He went downstairs, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and went to pass his time in the living room. Lately he had become somewhat addicted to music. Some song purveyed his feelings perfectly. He liked almost anything, from country to pop, but right now liked rock music best. He sat for hours just listening to the music. He went upstairs to throw his laundry into the dryer. When he came back downstairs there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Mr. Weasley and Ginny.  
  
"Hello Harry! How are you?" Mr. Weasley said  
  
"Hello." Ginny added cheerily.  
  
"Hello Ginny, Mr. Weasley. Come in." He stood aside to allow them inside.  
  
"So Harry, where shall I put Ginny's things?"  
  
"In my room, I suppose. It's this way." He said, leading them to his room. Mr. Weasley took a small trunk out of his pocket, and returned it to normal size.  
  
"Do you think the Dursley's will mind if I make a few...alterations to your room?"  
  
"They hardly ever come in here. Go ahead."  
  
Mr. Weasley set to work. First he cast an expanding charm so the room would be able to fit the new bed and wardrobe he conjured for Ginny. Next he added a fireplace and two comfortable armchairs. He handed Harry a bag of Floo Powder.  
  
"If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to give us a fire-call. If there is an emergency, you can floo to the burrow anytime; I'm having this fireplace connected to the floo network in a couple hours. The whole room is spelled to arrange anyway you want it, with anything in it, just concentrate hard on what you want. Well I must be off now, Good-bye Ginny, Harry." He gave Ginny a last hug, then apparated away.  
  
"You feel okay Harry?" Ginny asked. You look a little pale. And are you shaking?"  
  
"I'm...fine."  
  
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. Maybe some other time?"

"Maybe, anything you want to do?"  
  
"I don't know. What is there to do around here?"  
  
"Not a lot."  
  
"I think I'd rather just get settled in here. Is that okay?"  
  
"Yes. Anything you want to do is fine with me. How's Ron?"  
  
"He's doing much better. The scars are almost completely gone, but mom's still babying him. Hermione's almost better to, just a little sore where she was hit with that curse."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"I'm perfectly fine. I'm happy you're letting me stay here, and talking to me. I swear I won't tell anyone things you might tell me. Have you been having more nightmares? Is that why you're so pale?"  
  
"Yes." Harry answered reluctantly. "It's because of the cruciatus curse. I...I can feel it when he uses it, just as if he cast it on me. It only happen's every couple of weeks or so, and the shaking goes away in a couple days." He added, not wanting to alarm her.  
  
"That must be awful. You had one last night, didn't you?"  
  
Harry nodded his head. 'She's really observant' he thought. He took a good look at her. She had grown quite a bit. Her hair was down to her waist and a beautiful mix of red, auburn, and a little blonde too. She was wearing a black T-shirt with a red rose on the front, and a pair of blue jeans. She had developed a lot, 'No Harry! She's your best friends little sister. She's completely over you.' He furiously thought to himself.  
  
"Poor Harry," Ginny thought. She took a look at him during the pause in their conversation. He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt with a wolf head on it, and black cargo pants. "Wow. No, he doesn't like you that way. Get over him already." She thought to herself.  
  
"It's almost dinner time." Harry said, breaking the comfortable silence. "I can make something for us to eat."  
  
"You can cook?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I've been cooking for the Dursley's since I was six, yes I can cook." Harry said, a hint of amusement in his voice. They were both becoming more comfortable around each other.  
  
After dinner, Harry showed Ginny where everything was, and told her all the rules the Dursley's had. They both got ready for bed, but lay awake for hours talking some more. Finally they fell asleep, and to Harry's luck, he had no further nightmares. -  
  
A/N: Hope you liked it, Please review. 


	3. The Confrontation

A/N: I just realized I forgot a disclaimer in the first two chapters. Here's the third chapter, there's still not much of a plot, it might not develop for a few more chapters.  
  
Disclaimer: I own noting but the plot. All recognized characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

The next morning Harry awoke hot and sweaty. It was suffocatingly hot in his room. He quietly got up, opened the window, and got some clothes together. He left the room, not wanting to wake Ginny, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. When he came back, Ginny was sprawled quite unladylike across the whole bed. He went to sit near the window and the cool breeze it offered.  
  
"It's so damn hot!" Ginny said, startling Harry.  
  
"Since when does sweet little Ginny swear?" Harry asked, regaining his composure.  
  
"You try living with six brothers, one who happens to be Ron. Is there a lake, or someplace to cool off nearby?"  
  
"There's a public pool a short bus ride away. If we wait until after noon we can get in free, it's kid's day today."  
  
"What time is it now?"  
  
"Almost nine want anything for breakfast?"  
  
"Not really. I'm going to go take a shower."  
  
"I'll be downstairs."  
  
Harry went downstairs, opened the windows in the living room, and turned on the radio. He took a Popsicle from the freezer and went to sit on the couch. About an hour later Ginny came down. Harry almost choked on the stick when he saw her in shorts and a green halter-top. Ginny blushed when she saw Harry sitting there with no shirt.  
  
"Nice breakfast." She commented  
  
"Not hungry. Do you want anything?" Harry asked as he started on his second Popsicle.  
  
"No, When are we leaving?"  
  
"Do you want to eat lunch in town? They have air conditioning in most restaurants."  
  
"What's air conditioning? Sure I'll eat in town." Harry proceeded to tell Ginny what air conditioning was. By the time he got Ginny to understand, it was around eleven. He went upstairs and grabbed some things to bring with them. Ginny handed him a bag charmed to hold mass quantities of stuff, yet still be feather light. She grabbed a towel she had charmed to dry her hair instantly, as it was a great nuisance when wet, and Harry got two beach towels for them.  
  
They headed to a nearby bus stop, and got on. Ginny was intrigued by everything she saw, asking questions almost constantly. They arrived in- town, and Harry led her to a nice restaurant within walking distance of the pool. They sat around for a little while, so they would not arrive before noon, and then walked to the pool. Once there, Harry pointed out the changing rooms, and how to use a locker to store her things. He suggested she not leave her wand in the changing rooms, because some people would try to break into the lockers. He gave her a towel, and told her she had to shower off before going into the pool, and to bring the towel with her. Then he headed into his own changing rooms, sure she would manage all right. He arrived at the pool first, and put their bag into a cubbyhole with his wand in it.  
  
After a few minutes wait, Ginny came out wrapped in her towel. She saw Harry, and her stomach did a flip when she saw him close-up without a shirt. 'Wow' was all she thought. 'All those years of Quidditch paid off.' She walked over to him, and stored her towel with his. It was Harry's turn to be amazed. Ginny was wearing a halter-top bikini with boy-short bottoms. It was a beautiful shade of green that complemented her hair perfectly.  
  
"Here, put your wand in here." He said the word to magically lock it closed.  
  
"Oh...what's that?" Ginny's eyes had traveled to the pool where there was a large inflatable island in the center. As she watched a boy and girl raced each other across it, trying not to fall. Just as the boy made it to the end and was about to slide into the water, the girl caught up and pushed him off sideways. As she was celebrating, another of her friends came up behind her and pushed her off.  
  
"It's an inflatable fun island." Harry answered.  
  
"Race you there." Ginny shouted, diving into the water, Harry right behind her. Ginny reached it first, but had trouble getting up. Harry pulled her down and climbed up himself. They raced back and forth, falling off and pushing each other a lot, their laughter and screams added to the already dull roar of the other people there. Just as Harry was about to win, Ginny pushed him, but at the last second he grabbed her wrist. As they fell she shrieked and grabbed onto Harry, landing on top of him in the water. They both blushed; Ginny gave a flirty smile and was off in a flash. 'What was that?' Harry thought. 'Oh my god' was Ginny's thought. After they had exhausted themselves, they floated around the pool on inner tubes.  
  
"Have fun today?" Harry asked.  
  
"Definitely, what time is it anyway?" Harry looked for a clock, and found one high above the pool.  
  
"It's almost three actually. We could dry off and go to the park, or stay here if you like."  
  
"How about we go to the park? I'm getting all pruney and wrinkled." They got out of the pool and headed for their respective changing rooms. Harry, being a boy, was ready long before Ginny. After fifteen minutes of waiting, Ginny came out, her hair up in a loose bun.  
  
"Took you long enough!" Harry said.  
  
"You don't have waist length hair to deal with." They headed to the park, and sat in silence for a few moments.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked.  
  
"How it's nice to have someone here with me this summer, and...and how bad I feel for enjoying it when Sirius is...is dead and it's all my fault.  
  
"But it isn't your fault-"  
  
"Yes it is." Harry cut her off. "If I wouldn't have fallen asleep during that stupid exam and had that stupid fake dream...If I would have tried harder at O Occulmency,...If I wasn't so damn curious about Snape's pensive...If I wasn't so headstrong, always having to play the hero..." words failed him.  
  
"Harry...?"  
  
"Sirius died because I believed Voldemort and tried to save him, but instead he had to come save me. Yes it's my fault!"  
  
"Harry James Potter! It is not your fault! Listen to me Harry. It is no ones fault but Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestranges. You can't keep living like this, blaming yourself for every death at the hands of Voldemort! It is his fault, not yours!" Ginny shouted, loosing her infamous Weasley temper. She sat down and continued in a softer voice. "Is this what you think about every night? Is this what you dream; Sirius' death? You can't keep blaming yourself for every death at the hands of Voldemort. It is not your fault."  
  
"Yes it-"  
  
"No Harry. Promise me you'll at least try not to blame yourself any more."  
  
"I...I'll try."  
  
"Better. How about we go back to the Dursley's and have dinner." She said, some of her previous happiness coming back.  
  
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? The freak has a friend." Piers Polkiss and the rest of Dudley's gang interrupted their walk home.  
  
"Who's he Harry?" Ginny whispered in his ear, unconsciously wrapping her arms around his.  
  
"Hello, I am Piers Polkiss, at your service. You must be new around here. Well, there are some things you should know. First of all, some people are better than others. This one here," he indicated Harry "Is not good company to keep."  
  
"Go away Polkiss."  
  
"No, I don't think so; at least not without the lovely lady." He said in an overly cocky tone. "You see, this one here attends St. Brutus' secure center for incurably criminal boys."  
  
"Actually," Ginny said "his aunt and uncle only say that to cover up the fact that he attends a much better and more exclusive school that Dudley wasn't even considered for." She said in a superior tone, which sounded like it belonged to a Slytherin.  
  
"You see, Polkiss, Ginny here attends my school and is staying with me this summer." Harry said, catching on. "She has many much better people to associate herself with than commoners like you and your friends here. If you will excuse us, we'll be leaving now." He said in an equally superior tone, walking away with Ginny on his arm.  
  
"That was great Ginny." Harry said once they were out of hearing range.  
  
"You weren't bad yourself." Ginny added.  
  
"Must be my Slytherin side coming out." Harry said, a little bitterly.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. Said I would "do great things" in Slytherin. Probably because of the stupid connection I have with Voldemort." Harry explained. When they reached the Dursley's house Ginny gave a little shriek"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Snake, sorry, I don't usually mind them, it just jumped me." Harry called out in parseltongue for the snake.  
  
"Yes?" It said, coming up to Harry.  
  
"Hello there. What's your name?" Harry asked it.  
  
"Sara. What is yours, young master?"  
  
"I'm Harry Potter. Would you like anything, I can probably get it for you."  
  
"I am new to the area, but I am managing fine. You are a kind master, is there anything you need, for all snakes serve humans who can converse with us."  
  
"No, I'm fine. If you stay around this house you will be quite safe, but you don't have to."  
  
"Yes young master, thank you."  
  
"What did you say?" Ginny asked a little spell bound. "I had forgotten you speak parseltongue."  
  
"I just asked her name, it's Sara, and asked if she wanted anything. She sounded like a house elf 'Yes young Master, No young master. " A little weird to be called Master."  
  
"I know how you feel. It's even weirder to see someone talking to a snake." They went inside to have dinner, and soon went to bed, after sitting around for a little.

* * *

A/N: A little longer than usual. Thank you to all my reviewers, you're the main reason I'm writing this. Don't mind the bit with the snake, I was bored and just began typing it no idea where it came from. Anyway, I'm on February vacation and might possibly have another chapter or two out before the weekends. (I live in Maine, and instead of Spring Break, we get one week off in February, so we can ski and do all those fun winter sports, and one week off in April to enjoy the spring) Please Review. 


	4. The Storm

A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone, but I've been working on getting the plot started. This chapter's pretty much useless fluff, but there's a little bit of important stuff that will help the plot along. Next chapter the plot gets started a bit, and Moony gets dragged into the story, for all you Remus fans out there.  
  
The next morning Ginny woke up before Harry. She amused herself for a moment watching him sleep. He was on his side facing her, with one arm hanging off the bed. Looking closer she noticed faint bruises on his arms and one on his face. Deciding not to worry too much, she left the room not wanting Harry to catch her staring. When she returned, he was sitting on his bed, a pensive look on his face. She decided to ask about the bruises, so she would stop worrying about him, or thinking he had been beat by the muggles.  
  
"Harry?"

"Yes Ginny?"  
  
"Where did you get those bruises on your arms?" Harry looked at his arms, looking a little uncomfortable. He was silent for a minute.  
  
"I...don't know." He answered.  
  
"Yes you do. Was it your Uncle? Did they beat you?" she asked, concerned.  
  
"No, they just ignore me."  
  
"Then what happened?" she persisted.  
  
"It was just an accident, okay?" He snapped.  
  
"Don't you yell at me Harry Potter! I'm only concerned about you, just like any of your other friends would be!" She said, beginning to lose her temper.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower." He said to escape further questioning. Wondering how to get him to talk more, Ginny headed downstairs to start some breakfast for them. When Harry came down, he seemed much calmer, and Ginny was also. Having just finished cooking, she headed over to the table with two plates of bacon and eggs.  
  
"I didn't know you could cook."  
  
"It's only eggs and bacon, not exactly hard to cook. Mum taught me, says she wants me to be a proper mother when I grow up. She thinks I'm too much of a tomboy."  
  
"At least you have someone to fuss over you." Harry said quietly.  
  
"Don't be silly, she loves you like her own. You just get stuck over here part of the summer. Why does Dumbledore make you keep coming back anyway? He knows they hate you, and you hate them."  
  
"I have to come back, at least for part of the summer."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well...It's partially because Aunt Petunia is my blood relative. The Blood connection provides protection for me. I can't tell you much more, it will put you in danger from Voldemort. Please don't ask more about it." He said slowly and reluctantly.  
  
"Harry, I'm already in danger from Voldemort. He knows about my first year." Ginny answered just as slowly. "And, please don't tell anyone, but I think he may possibly have transferred some of his powers to me." She nearly whispered the last part.  
  
"Ginny, you shouldn't be ashamed of that. Look at me." She obeyed, having been staring at her plate. "The same thing happened to me when he killed my parents. Remember how the whole school thought it was me who was opening the chamber? It's because I'm a parseltongue. What do you think he did to you?"  
  
"I...can tell when people are lying, but I couldn't before. And...and I'm not sure, but I think I might be a Parselmouth also. I could almost tell what that snake was saying."  
  
"Let me try something." Harry said. He concentrated on a snake, and then began to talk in parseltongue. "Can you understand me Ginny?" Her eyes went wide, and she tried saying something back, but it came out in English.  
  
"That was a good try Ginny. It might be better if you can't speak yet, people tend to get a little suspicious."  
  
"It's raining." Ginny said, a little sadly. "Are you up for a game of wizard's chess?"  
  
"I'm not all that great. I don't think I've won a single game."  
  
"Because you've always played against Ron; don't worry, I'm not even half as good as him!" they played for a couple hours. Harry actually won three times, and Ginny won four games. By noon, the storm had escalated into a full force thunderstorm. Harry made lunch for them, and decided to introduce Ginny to the wondrous invention called movies. He left her to pick a movie from the Dursley's extensive collection while he made them popcorn. Harry wasn't too happy when she picked out a 'chic flick,' Ever After. Ginny was mesmerized, and insisted on watching another. They watched A Knights Tale and 10 Things I Hate About You. It was about six, so Harry left Ginny watching Dogma and started some supper.  
  
"Doesn't the Metatron look a lot like Snape?" Ginny asked.  
  
"He does, minus the buckets of grease." Harry said, causing Ginny to laugh. Just as Harry was getting their dinner ready, the house went completely dark.  
  
"Harry, what happened?" Ginny asked, sounding a little nervous.  
  
"The power went out. Wait a minute and I'll get a flashlight." Once Harry got the flashlight and explained how it worked, he and Ginny found some candles to light the room with. They ate, and then went to relax in the living room. Ginny seemed a little edgy. Harry saw her flinch a little as a particularly loud clap of thunder sounded.  
  
"Don't like storms?" He asked her.  
  
"No, I'm fine. I was just thinking, and the thunder startled me." After awhile, Ginny drifted off. Harry didn't realize she was asleep until she began to whimper in her dreams. She screamed, and sat up before Harry could wake her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her.  
  
"Just...just another nightmare. I'm...I'm okay" she said a little breathless.  
  
"It's okay, I'm right here." He said, trying to comfort her. He sat next to her, pushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. She laid her head on his shoulder and allowed him to continue awkwardly trying to comfort her.  
  
The next morning Harry took a minute to wonder where he was. Then he remembered the storm, and that the pressure on his arm was Ginny. He stayed as still as he could; not wanting to wake her, but soon enough she woke up anyway. Blushing a little, she got off him, provoking a smile from Harry.  
  
"Morning Harry, sorry it couldn't have been too comfortable being my pillow."  
  
"I don't mind. I'll cook breakfast if you want."

They spent an uneventful morning cleaning up from last night. They picked up all the candles and scraped off the spilled wax. Harry washed the dishes while Ginny rewound and took care of all the movies. Looking outside, today was the exact opposite of yesterday. It was warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. They went to a nearby café for lunch, and then to the park for the afternoon.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Yay! Another chapter. That actually ended up a lot different than I had written. REVIEW please! And thank you to everyone who has so far.


	5. The Nightmare

A/N: I'm so sorry this has taken so long. I got grounded because I got a bad grade in science and math, and then snuck out to a concert (I had been grounded from going.)  
  
Anyway, here's the next chapter, but first, I finally got around to answering all your reviews. (I went online while my parents were asleep. Right now, as I'm typing this, I am still grounded.)  
  
Ladyla – I liked the scene between them and Piers also, that's why I wrote it. It might have something to do with events later in the story, but I'm not promising anything.  
  
Slicn' Rory – I think Harry/ Ginny is the best pairing also. It just seems to fit, especially with them resembling James and Lily so much.  
  
Butler – Thanx, and it's not over yet, I've just been grounded.  
  
Ahbahh – That is kind of weird. I believe in the first chapter I did give a brief explanation of why Ginny went, and it was the same as what you wrote in your review. It was just a little...abridged. Here, and I quote, is what I wrote. It was in the letter Mrs. Weasley wrote, In the first chapter of the story. "Ron and Hermione would love to come, but they are still recovering. We would like to send Ginny." I'll try to read your story soon, but it might be a month or two. I'm just completely swamped with work, because my parents forced me into all these Honors classes, and I just want to work with art and music. If you see anything in here you like, you can use it in your story if you want to also.  
  
Danca – They will hook up, just as soon as I can figure out how to make it flow with the story.  
  
DragonStorm316 – I'm trying to write longer chapters, but they usually end up sounding like rambling. Cool name by the way.  
  
Jennifer – Thanx. Are you the same person as Jen? Neither of you are signed in. If you aren't, thank you to Jen also.  
  
Airamie – I wrote it the way I wanted to. I don't really care if it's cannon or not. Sorry you think this is too Americanized, I think your way too picky. It's one damn letter! And I did give a reason for Ginny being the one to go. Read my reply to Ahbahh's review.  
  
Sarahamanda – Thanx!  
  
Lover-of-Sirius-Black – Thanx, and have you read my other stories? They're about the Marauders, and one is pretty much only Sirius.  
  
Pumpkinpiebaby – I agree, it has been overdone, it just kind of slipped in, I don't know how. I remembered Voldemort because I'm not really a die-hard romantic.  
  
Arios – That's true. I have seen a couple stories like this, and one of my reviewers said they have a story just like mine.  
  
Stitch1 – Thank you, you were my first reviewer! And yes, I'm not so cold, it has warmed up quite a bit, though I wish I were still in Hawaii (I was part of a school trip to Hawaii last year in 8th grade.) Your name made me think of that, thank you for caring if I was cold.  
  
There's a little bit of a time gap from last chapter to this one. It's been five days since Ginny arrived. I just wanted to move the story along a little. This chapter is a little less romantic, and Remus Lupin finally shows up for all you Moony fans.  
  
Chapter 5

It had been a few days since Ginny had come to stay. There days had somewhat fallen into a pattern. They would get up around eight, and cook themselves breakfast. They would either hang around the house, or go to the park. If it was a nice day, they would go to a local café, and if it was rainy they would just stay home. They would find something to do in the afternoon, and come home when they felt like it.  
  
One night Ginny was awoken in the middle of the night. It didn't take long to find what had woken her up. Harry was thrashing around in his sleep. He had done it once before, and had confessed to having nightmares, but would not say anything more. Thinking it was another nightmare, Ginny went to wake him. She grabbed his arm just before he hit her, and tried to wake him up. She called his name and shook him again, but he continued struggling. As she let go of his arm, he began to tense, then started convulsing and screaming. The pain and torment his continued screams held terrified her.  
  
The next few events were a blur to her; she gave up trying to wake Harry, and ran to the fireplace her father had conjured for emergencies. She grabbed the floo powder, tossed it into the fireplace, and called out the first place that popped into her head. Sticking her head into the fire, she found herself in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld place.  
  
Remus Lupin was startled as the flustered face of a young girl popped into his fireplace. He quickly recognized her as the youngest Weasley.  
  
"Ginny! Is something wrong?"  
  
"R-Remus its Harry; something's wrong. I thought he was having a nightmare, but then he started screaming and tossing around like he was in a lot of pain. I didn't know what to do, please come help him." She said, near hysterics.  
  
"First of all, try to calm down. Go back to Harry and I'll be right behind you." Ginny pulled her head back and quickly jumped back from the fireplace. Remus appeared moments later. He looked pained at the tormented sound of the screams of his best friend's son.  
  
"He looks like he's under...the cruciatus curse." Remus said slowly.  
  
  
  
Harry felt as if he were falling in slow motion. His surroundings were foggy, but things slowly began to take shape. He seemed to be in a nice house, probably at the edge of a small town, judging by the view out the window. Slowly, the details began to solidify. Then he noticed figures in the corner of the room. With a sinking feeling, he realized what was happening.  
  
There was a young couple backed against the wall, kneeling on the floor, clutching at each other. There were three robed and masked figures making a half circle around them, and a fourth, with no mask. Harry instantly recognized him as Voldemort.  
  
"Please, what have we ever done to you?" the woman sobbed.

The man did not seem to know who was in his house and what was happening. Looking around the house, Harry realized exactly what she had done. She had left the wizarding world to marry a muggle.  
  
"You should know; it's right in front of you." Voldemort teased. "You left a perfectly good pureblood family for that." He said, pointing to the man beside her.

"You disgraced your family and all purebloods with your muggle husband. I bet he doesn't even know, does he?" Voldemort continued. "Why don't you enlighten him to the situation?" The woman was near hysterics, and could not speak.  
  
"Very well, I will. You see," he told the man, "your wife has been keeping a very large secret from you her whole life. Do you believe in Magic?" The man shook his head.  
  
"Well, that shall have to be fixed. Malfoy"

As Voldemort said his name, a death eater stepped forward. Harry heard him mutter crucio before his world dissolved into pain and agony and screams. It was lifted relatively quickly, and Voldemort continued speaking.  
  
"How about now?" The man nodded.

"Good. You see, your wife is magic, is a witch. And I, I am the most powerful dark wizard of all time. You see, many years ago, I began my rise to power, but was stopped. But now I'm back, and powerful as ever."  
  
"Is it true?" the man said in a scratchy voice. The woman nodded.  
  
"Please don't hate me."  
  
"Oh, there's no time for hatred right now. Crucio!"

Harry was once more enveloped in pain. He knew not how long it lasted, but just as he felt he could go on no longer, the pain began to lessen. He felt as if he was once more floating in mist. His last sight was of the dark mark floating above a quiet town.

Ginny, try holding down his arms so he doesn't hurt himself." Remus said "Enervate." He muttered before giving up on spells and shaking him.  
  
"I tried that, it's no use."  
  
"Has he had a dream like this before?" Remus asked.  
  
"I think I remember him mentioning something like this happening before I got here, but he said it wasn't bad."  
  
"I think all we can do is keep him from hurting himself more." Remus said, dejected.

Ginny moved onto his bed as he began to convulse and scream again. She laid his head in her lap and held his arms while Remus kept him from kicking. He finally stopped screaming, and slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"Remus? Ginny?" He croaked in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Shh...it's okay now." Ginny comforted him.  
  
"Harry, how long have you been having dreams like these?" Remus asked.

Harry was quiet a moment.  
  
"Since the end of the school year. But they're not nightmares."  
  
"Harry, please tell us what happened?" Ginny asked. He was quiet again before answering in a reluctant tone.  
  
"It's like when I had the vision of your father being attacked. When Voldemort attacks, or is feeling extremely emotional, I somehow get into his head."  
  
"Why were you screaming?" Again Harry paused.  
  
"He was torturing a couple, and...I can...can feel when he and his deatheater's cast the Cruciatus curse." he confessed.  
  
"I want Madame Pomfrey to see you. I'll go get her."  
  
"No! I... I'm fine really." Harry protested.  
  
"Harry your trembling. You were just under the cruciatus curse for quite some time."  
  
"I'm fine. It'll go away in a day or two."  
  
"Oh Harry." Ginny sighed. Harry looked up and saw tears in her eyes.  
  
"Don't cry. I'm fine." he insisted. After further arguing Harry finally got his way, as long as he would take a potion Remus provided him.  
  
"Do you want anything?" Ginny asked once Remus left.  
  
"A little water would be nice." He said in a voice barely above a whisper. She helped him sit up and drink.  
  
"I was so worried about you. I'm just grateful you're okay!" She said, finally breaking down and wrapping her arms around him. Harry awkwardly patted her on the back.  
  
"Are you sure you okay, you're trembling." She said, regaining herself.  
  
"Honestly? I feel like a human bludger." Harry tried to sit up, but Ginny put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him down.  
  
"How does this feel?" she asked, pressing a cool cloth on his head and laying him back in her lap. She continued comforting him and stroking his hair until his ragged breaths evened out as sleep overtook him.  
  
In the morning Ginny awoke before Harry. She quietly slipped out from under him and placed a pillow under his head, trying not to wake him. It didn't work, as Harry opened his eyes and looked at her, smiling weakly. Ginny made him stay in bed, and brought him some breakfast. He ate little, and slowly. Ginny saw many fresh bruises.  
  
"How could you keep this a secret? Why didn't you tell anyone? Why do you always keep yourself so isolated and emotionless?" Ginny asked, a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall.  
  
"I guess because no one ever cared before Hogwarts."  
  
"Yes, but now people do care, yet you still don't tell anyone, not even your best friends, or your fathers best friend, or Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"I'm a little...angry with Dumbledore. I completely ruined his office last year."  
  
"You ruined his office?"  
  
"I was mad. It was right after the fight with Voldemort at the Ministry. He told me something he should have told me from the beginning, and everything seemed to come crashing down on me at that moment. He actually encouraged me.  
  
They spent the rest of the day in Harry's room. Remus flooed in once with more potions for Harry; other than that it was a quiet day for them.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Please Review!!!


	6. The Pensive

A/N: Hello again. Sorry about the long wait for the last chapter. I'm disappointed that I only got a few reviews for chapter five. Here's chapter six. This chapter is building up the plot even more, so don't miss it! Oh, and my sister has finally decided to post a couple stories. One is only a one-shot, but she has two chapters in her other story, and the third is coming up. They're both kind of dark and involve suicide and murder, if you like that stuff. Her penname is BlackRaven13 and she is my twin sister! Cool, huh?  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Never have, never will.

Harry woke late in the morning, having had been made to take a sleepless dream potion. Remus had also supplied him with potions to combat the effects of the cruciatus curse.  
  
"Good morning Harry." Ginny said a little warily. Harry had the suspicion she hadn't been sleeping well. "Here, drink this. It will stop the shaking." Ginny sat beside him on the bed and helped him sit up to drink. As he finished the potion his trembling slowly ceased.  
  
"Feeling better?"  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't warn you about my dreams. Please don't worry too much." Harry said, concerned.  
  
"It's okay. I was just a little scared. You look much better."  
  
"The potions helped a lot. Now I just want to get out of bed; how about we go to the park?"  
  
"Are you sure? You were just under the cruciatus curse for a long time." Ginny said hesitantly, "Most people would have lost their minds." She added in a sad whisper.  
  
"I'm fine Ginny. It's not the first time I've been tortured." Immediately Harry realized that was not a good thing to say as Ginny's eyes welled up with tears. "It's okay Ginny. Please don't cry, I didn't mean to upset you." Harry pleaded.  
  
"I'm – I'm fine. It's just a little...strange to hear someone say that so calmly. Then again, you are "The Boy-Who-Lived."  
  
"And my life just gets stranger. I'm going to take a shower before I go anywhere." When Harry came back Hedwig was sitting on his bed with a rather large package. Ginny was just walking over to unburden her.  
  
"I'll get it Ginny." Harry told her. He untied the package and a letter, and Hedwig flew over to Ginny.  
  
"I'll take care of her. Read your letter. Harry opened the letter first to find it was from Remus.  
  
Dear Harry,How are you feeling? I was going to wait until your birthday to give this to you, but I couldn't wait. It is the present Sirius was planning to give to you. I only know what half of it is though. I wanted to be there, but I have to go away for a few days. I'll be back on the 25th. If you need more potions, you can ask Tonks. She found out about your nightmares, but no one else knows. I really wish you would tell the others. Tonks will most likely either be on patrol, or at Grimmauld place. I hope you enjoy your present Moony.

"Nothings wrong, is it?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Nothings wrong. It's an early birthday present Remus sent to me. It's from Sirius."

Harry opened the box to find two stone basins, both carved with ancient runes and symbols. One was full of swirling white mist, while the other one was empty. Harry immediately recognized them as Pensive's. He picked up a second note, this time in Sirius' somewhat messy writing.  
  
Harry,

Incase you don't know what this is, it's a pensive. It holds thoughts and memories. I've kept it since I was in school. Remus and James shared it with me sometimes. Pettigrew never figured out how to use it, thank god. It holds a lot of memories of our school days, and many, many pranks, right up until, well, you know. Moony and I have been adding as many memories as we can, so you can have a chance to get to know your parents and us a little better. The empty one is for your own use. Enjoy.  
  
Sirius  
  
"What is it Harry?" Ginny said. He wasn't sure if she was asking about the present or why he suddenly seemed sad.  
  
"Sirius gave me his pensive, and one for myself."  
  
"Do you want a minute alone?" Ginny asked, realizing what would be in the pensive.  
  
"No, I'm fine. Stay. You can watch too if you want." Ginny sat beside him as a memory began to surface. The surroundings were very familiar. They instantly recognized it as the Hogwarts express, though it somehow seemed different. They saw a small boy, most likely a first year, alone in the compartment. He looked lonely, and shy. He had sandy hair and hazel eyes, and was looking out the window. He seemed somehow older and wearier than he was, as if he carried a great burden. Harry and Ginny recognized him as a young Remus.  
  
"It must be Remus' memory of their first ride on the Hogwarts express. It's better if we enter the memory." Harry said before grabbing Ginny's arm and pulling her in with him. Instantly they were thrown into the compartment.  
  
"He looks so sad." Ginny said.  
  
"He must not have met Sirius yet." As Harry finished his sentence, the door opened a crack and a head popped in.  
  
"Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full." The boy, James, Harry believed, asked.  
  
"Not at all." Remus said, brightening. He looked almost like a normal, happy kid at the prospect of friends. "My name is Remus."  
  
"Cool, your names almost as weird as mine." The second boy said. "I'm Sirius, and this is James."  
  
"Hello Remus. Do you know anyone else? Are you new to magic?" James asked.  
  
"No, I don't really have any friends, and I'm not new to magic. Both my parents are magic, but my dad is only a half blood. What about you?"  
  
"We're both purebloods, but we don't care what kind of blood people have. We've been friends since, five, was it?" James said.  
  
"Yeah five. How come I've never seen you before, my parents are always having parties. Almost all wizards know my family."  
  
"You might have seen my family. I don't really get out much."  
  
"Family issues; my family despises me because I don't care about all that pureblood crap, or the dark arts. I never get to go anywhere." Sirius said, a little bitterly.  
  
"Somewhat friends?" Remus asked a little hesitantly.  
  
"Friends, do you like playing pranks?" Sirius asked.  
  
"We've been planning a prank for the sorting ceremony. You can help."  
  
"I don't know. Won't we get in trouble?"  
  
"Oh come on. Where the fun without the danger?" at this, Harry started cracking up.  
  
"That sounds just like Sirius." Harry said to Ginny, who was also laughing at the trio before them.  
  
"I wonder what the prank is." As Ginny spoke, their surroundings morphed to the great hall. Dumbledore was in the middle of his speech when hundreds of Filibusters Fireworks exploded from every corner of the great hall. Laughing at the look on Dumbledore's face, Ginny and Harry exited the pensive. Ginny also could see sadness behind the laughter.  
  
"They were so...carefree. Happy." Harry said with a sigh. "Can you pass me the instructions? I'm going to try out mine." After a few failed attempts he finally got a wisp of silvery thought into the pensive. He shuddered slightly as he watched the memory surface before swirling the pensive and removing the picture from the surface.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.  
  
"It's the nightmare I had." Harry told her. "If you want, you can see it." He added after a minute. "It's a little scary."  
  
"I...I think I should see it. I want to know what you've been through." Ginny said quietly after a moment. Harry prompted the memory to surface before once again pulling Ginny into the pensive. They reappeared after a few moments, Ginny sobbing while Harry had tears streaming down his face. Harry did not know his ghostly self would be present in the memory.  
  
"It's okay Ginny." Harry tried to comfort her.  
  
"Oh Harry, I had no idea what you'd been through." She sobbed. Harry pulled her to him in a comforting embrace. As he held her close, he had a strange feeling. It wasn't like when Cho was around. That was just a silly crush. This was better, nicer...pure. "I'm in love with her." Harry thought to himself. He sat still for a moment before stroking Ginny's hair and placing a kiss on the top of her head. He leaned his head on hers for a moment, enjoying the closeness.  
  
"Shh, it's okay. Please don't cry." He told her.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to break down. It's just, you're so brave. Most people would have cracked under so much pain. And here you are, perfectly fine, comforting me." She said softly  
  
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. You can look at my pensive whenever you want to, unless I say not to. Okay?"  
  
"Okay. Thank you. How about we go to the park like you wanted to; I'll just go wash my face first."

Harry added more memories until Ginny came back. She looked at his pensive as he added another memory. Sirius face shimmered on the surface, only to be replaced with Remus, then James. Ginny saw Lily's face surface, before being replaced by a horrid face with red eyes. Harry shuddered and stirred the contents of the pensive so they returned to a silvery mist.  
  
"Was that Voldemort?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes. Since when do you use his name?"  
  
"Since he spent the better part of a year in my head." She said bitterly. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Ginny said. "Let's go."  
  
As they exited the Dursley's there was a pop. Instantly Harry had his wand out and pointed at the witch who had apparated.  
  
"Wotcher, Harry!"  
  
"Tonks! Sorry. I suggest next time you give me some warning." Harry said, returning his wand to his pocket.  
  
"Feeling better? I found out about the other night."  
  
"Does anyone else know?" Harry said, groaning. "And yes I'm fine."  
  
"No one else knows. I was wondering if I could spend a little time with you. Patrol is boring."  
  
"Then I'm still being watched? We're going to get a late lunch, then probably go over to the park."  
  
"Sounds fun. Let's go! Wait, hang on a minute." Tonks concentrated and soon looked almost exactly like Ginny, but with the purple hair she had had before. After lunch, which Tonks insisted on paying for, they headed for the park where they were asked to join in a soccer game.  
  
"Can't be much harder then Quidditch." Tonks said, joining in. Harry gave them a quick explanation of the rules, helped by the other kids.  
  
After many games, Tonks said she had to leave. Harry and Ginny sat under a large oak tree as the sun began to set. Ginny noticed Harry was trembling again. She pulled one of his potions out of a small bag she had brought. Turning to Harry she nearly dropped the potion at the sight of him. He was trembling violently and staring straight ahead, not blinking. There was a small trickle of blood running down his face. Ginny could tell it came from his scar, leading her to believe it had something to do with Voldemort.  
  
"Harry!" she screamed. She tried to snap him out of it, but it didn't work. After a moment he relaxed, nearly collapsing. He looked to Ginny.  
  
"He's mad. Very mad." He gasped out slowly. As Ginny helped Harry sit up, there was another pop. Ginny pulled out her wand and turned to the source of the sound. The person was only a few feet from them.  
  
"You!" both Ginny and the stranger said before his eyes slowly rolled back in his head and he too collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.  
  
-  
  
A/N: I know, I'm horrible. I just couldn't resist a cliffhanger. The more reviews I get, the faster you get your next chapter. Any guesses who it is? Anybody who guesses correctly will get the next chapter dedicated to them. Review!


	7. The Visitor

A/N: Wow! I'm overwhelmed by the great response I got. Maybe I should leave cliffhangers more often... Just kidding. Wish I could've seen your faces. A lot of you think it was either Percy or Wormtail. Nope. I guess it'll be a surprise for you then. Oh, someone said it was odd for Mrs. Weasley to let her be there alone and something about their beds next to each other. Remember, Harry is being watched by members of the order, and their beds are on opposite sides of the room, and the Weasleys trust Harry like their own son. How many of you are even reading this?  
  
-  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
"I'm fine. How did he get here?" Ginny asked.  
  
"He escaped Voldemort. That's why Voldemort is mad." Harry explained. "I think he accidentally used wandless magic. He was being tortured. Since I wasn't asleep, I didn't really experience it full blast. I'll be fine."  
  
"You're bleeding. Here." Ginny said, wiping the blood from his forehead. "What should we do with him?"  
  
"Whether he likes it or not, he's now a friend. We should help him, he's still in danger. We can floo the order at my house, but we need to wake him up." Ginny walked over and dumped her water bottle on his face. Harry laughed as he coughed and spluttered.  
  
"What are you doing here Potter?" He asked, then looking around "Where am I?"  
  
"You're still in danger. I'm here because I live down the block." Harry told him.  
  
"Great. I'm leaving." He tried to stand up, but fell back over.  
  
"You've been tortured. Come with me and I can get help."  
  
"I have an extra potion Harry." Ginny told him. "Here Malfoy, Drink this."  
  
"And why should I trust you?" Draco spat.  
  
"Because, Malfoy, we are only trying to help you. By defying Voldemort you have become part of the light side, our side. It's not safe here, Death Eaters could show up any minute."  
  
"And where do you think is safe?" He argued.  
  
"Voldemort cannot get to my Uncles house because of the protection my relative's blood provides. If you come to my house, you will be safe, and we can firecall someone to help. Just trust us. The potion will make you better. It was brewed by Snape and given to me by a close friend. I've already taken two bottles of it in the past two days. It helps with the effects of the Cruciatus Curse." Harry explained.  
  
"And why do you think I've been under the Cruciatus Curse? Why would you have needed to take a potion to counteract it?" Draco asked.  
  
"I can explain everything if you will just cooperate. Please Malfoy, trust me." Draco paused for a minute, thinking, weighing his options.  
  
"Fine. I'll come with you. But you better explain everything." He reluctantly downed the potion. Ginny tried to help him up, but he shook her off. Ginny stuck her nose up and walked over to Harry. He couldn't help sniggering at her, so she lightly hit him in the arm as they began to walk home. Soon they reached number four and Harry led them to the living room.  
  
"So are you going to explain why you know what happened to me, and why you need to take those potions?" Draco asked. Harry was quiet for a moment, pondering his answer.  
  
"For a while I've been having visions of Voldemort. It started with just flashes when he was feeling particularly emotional. Then I started entering his mind while I was asleep. Lately I've been forced to watch him torture his victims, and feel the spells he uses. That is why I had to take the potions. Voldemort was extremely mad when you would not become a death eater. I entered his mind even though I was not asleep, and watched as he tortured you. Somehow you used wandless magic to apparate. If you will come upstairs we can use my fireplace." With that Harry led the way upstairs.  
  
"What's behind there?" Draco said, motioning to a door with numerous locks and bolts. He wanted to know what was so important as to be locked up so securely.  
  
"My room." Harry answered bitterly.  
  
"Before Harry's second year, his Uncle locked him up and my brothers rescued him." Ginny explained at the stunned look on Draco's face.  
  
"My so-called family never liked me much." Harry said as he threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. "It's been disconnected. There must be a meeting." Harry explained when he could not get through to Grimmauld Place. "You'll have to spend the night here. You can have my bed; I'll sleep on the floor. Don't try to argue Ginny; I'm not in the mood." Harry said, clearing the Pensive's off his bed.  
  
"Why do you have two Pensive's?" Draco asked.  
  
"Why do you care? If you really must know, one is mine and the other belonged to my Godfather." Ginny detected the sorrow in his voice at the thought of Sirius.  
  
"Here Harry, Remus said to take another dreamless sleep potion." Ginny said handing him another potion. He arranged some extra blankets on the floor, added some more thoughts to his pensive, and drank the potion Ginny handed to him. He was asleep almost immediately.  
  
"So, why are you staying here? Finally ran out of room at home?"  
  
"Shut up Malfoy. I'm staying here so Harry isn't lonely. He's going through a tough time right now. Why don't you stop insulting us and just try to get along, or do you want us to regret helping you? Is it really so hard?" with that Ginny rolled over in bed, facing away from Malfoy.  
  
Ginny stayed awake for a while, thinking. Harry had changed a lot. She admired the way he had handled the situation with ease. She wondered why he had answered the somewhat personal questions Malfoy had asked. It was almost as if he was a different person around Malfoy than when it was only him and Ginny. With a jolt she realized she had earned Harry's trust. She had come at a vulnerable time for him, and he had opened up for her. For some reason he had given up hiding from his emotions, letting no one know how he felt. But it still didn't explain the sudden kindness towards Malfoy.  
  
Her thoughts turned to that morning, right after they had come out of the pensive. She thought of how Harry had held her so tenderly, had stroked her hair and comforted her. She remembered the wonderful feeling she had as she sat there in his arms, the longing for time to stop and for them to be lost in that moment forever.  
  
And then she thought of the reason why she was crying. How vulnerable Harry had looked. How he had writhed and screamed on the floor of that strange house, feeling the pain of the young couple who had done nothing wrong. How weak he was immediately after the dream. She thought of how she had comforted him as he lay trembling from the pain.  
  
She lay in bed curled up into a ball, trying to ward off the sorrow that was growing inside her. She was crying, trying her hardest not to make a sound. The last thing she needed was Malfoy teasing her during summer too. Her pillow was soon soaked with tears as she slowly cried herself into a restless sleep.  
  
  
  
Ginny was the first to wake in the morning. Remembering that Harry had given her permission to use his pensive, she quickly got up and brought it to her bed. As she watched, a scene rose to the surface. As she looked around the room, she noticed several cloaked figures on one side. She had stumbled upon another of his dreams. She swirled the contents of the pensive, looking for a happy memory. She just wanted to find one happy memory.  
  
Soon she found herself looking into a worn and dusty room. She saw Harry and Hermione by the door and her brother on the bed, clutching his leg. In the corner was a shell of a man, his face pale and sunken in, and his long black hair matted and dirty. Harry had his wand trained on the man, and was slowly advancing on him. Ginny watched as Crookshanks jumped onto his chest to protect him from Harry. As Remus entered, she realized she had found the memory from the end of Harry's third year. She laughed slightly when Snape was knocked unconscious by the three of them, and felt happy for Harry when he believed he could live with Sirius. She watched amazed as Hermione produced her time turner, and as Harry saved them all with a perfect patronus.  
  
"Finally found a good memory?" Ginny jumped at the sound of Harry's voice, as she thought he was still asleep.  
  
"Somewhat. Next time give me some warning before you surprise me like that. Is Malfoy still asleep?"  
  
"Yeah, he'll be out for a while. What memory are you watching?" Harry asked, curious.  
  
"The end of your third year; when you first met Sirius."  
  
"Why were you laughing? I didn't find it particularly funny."  
  
"Sorry. I just thought it was funny when you knocked out Snape. He even taught you that spell, didn't he? How did you get out of detention?"  
  
"Oh, that part. Yeah, he taught us the spell. We didn't get detention because we were supposedly confunded by Sirius. How about we go downstairs? You can bring the pensive."  
  
"No, that's fine. I was just waiting for you to wake up." Harry began cooking breakfast as Ginny tried to stop him. In the end she settled for just helping him.  
  
"Why were you so nice to Malfoy last night?" She asked. Harry sighed.  
  
"Something I saw in my vision. It's his right if he wants you to know or not. He's a strong wizard to escape Voldemort and his father." Harry answered.  
  
"How come you've stopped hiding everything from everyone? You've been so nice to me this summer. Something about you has changed."  
  
"I don't really know. I guess maybe because I know what it's like now to not be told anything. Last summer I was almost completely cut off from the wizarding world. And then what Dumbledore kept from me all these years.... And I had a few weeks to think things through at the beginning of summer." Ginny could tell Harry wasn't telling something, maybe something about the start of summer. Ginny continued her questioning.  
  
"Is something wrong? You seem depressed." Harry was saved from answering by the arrival of Draco in the kitchen. Ginny brought over orange juice for the three of them and Harry handed her a plate of eggs and bacon.  
  
"Here Malfoy." He said, handing him a plate also.  
  
"Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked suspiciously. Harry sighed again.  
  
"Like it or not, you are now on our side. Would you rather I had left you in the park?" Draco glared at Harry.  
  
"Why are you bruised?" Draco asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Because of the curse; you are too." He pointed out. "After breakfast I'll try to get in touch with the order."  
  
"Most likely you'll get Remus. Does he even ever leave headquarters?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Now that Sirius is...gone, I think Remus might have either bought or inherited the house. Remus doesn't really have anywhere to go, and they need someone at headquarters at all times, incase there's an emergency."  
  
"What is the order, and who is Remus?" Draco asked, annoying both Ginny and Harry.  
  
"The order is an organization headed by Dumbledore. They are one of Voldemort's main enemies, and were the main force against him during the first war. Remus is more commonly known to you as Professor Lupin." Harry rattled off.  
  
"The werewolf? Who would ever trust a werewolf?" Draco sneered.  
  
"Don't ever insult Remus Lupin in front of me. It's not his fault he is a werewolf. He was one of my Father's best friends, besides my godfather, and is one of the few people I trust anymore." Harry said, trying his best to keep his temper.  
  
"Why don't you go contact the order; I can clean up." Ginny said, shooing him upstairs, not wanting him to loose his infamous temper. Soon Remus and Dumbledore were coming down the stairs followed by Harry. Ginny joined them in the living room, followed by a reluctant Malfoy.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, would you care to explain to us what happened yesterday?" Dumbledore began. Knowing better than to refuse Dumbledore, he began his tale.  
  
"After supper Father called me down to one of our secret chambers. When I arrived, the Dark Lord was there also. He said that as a Malfoy, I had the privilege of joining his ranks at an early age. I said I did not want to, and he became very mad. He said I would pay for my arrogance, and I ran, but was hit with crucio by my father. He dragged me back into the chamber, where I was tortured; somehow I accidentally apparated. I saw Weasley sitting by a tree and Potter on the ground. He looked like he was bleeding. After that I passed out, and they woke me up and brought me here." Draco explained. Ginny saw him clutching his shoulder through the story, wondering what for.  
  
"That is quite a remarkable tale. I believe it would be best for you to lie low here for a couple days. Lucius will most certainly be looking for you, and he can easily gain entry to Hogwarts. I am afraid there is no safer place." Draco stared at Dumbledore as if he had lost his mind. "Please Draco; I have no time to argue. Remus, if you could supply him with a potion, I must be on my way. I shall have Severus brew a fresh batch to be sent to you." And with that, he left.  
  
"How did you like your present Harry?" Remus asked after a moment.  
  
"It's brilliant. Thank you so much. I thought you had to leave for a few days?"  
  
"It was changed. Dumbledore decided it was best if I stay at Grimmauld Place incase of any emergency. What memories have you seen?"  
  
"The one where you first met Sirius and James on the Hogwarts express, and the prank you played at the feast."  
  
"The expression on Dumbledore's face was priceless." Ginny added.  
  
"I remember that. It started the tradition of playing a prank at every beginning of term feast. I believe once we dyed everyone's hair different colors. I think it was our sixth year. Severus had hot pink hair with yellow polka dots, and Dumbledore had green and blue stripes. The best part was it didn't come out for a week." They all laughed at this, even Draco laughed slightly.  
  
"I never thought you the type to play pranks, professor." Draco drawled.  
  
"Ever heard of the Marauders?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Who hasn't?" He sneered.  
  
"You're looking at the last surviving member, unless you count that traitorous rat. The other members were my father, James Potter, my Godfather, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew." Everyone could hear the raw hatred in Harry's voice at the mention of Wormtail.  
  
"Harry, would you mind showing me your dreams? They could help us find a pattern or reason for the killings." Remus asked when the laughter had died down. Harry, suddenly somber, walked upstairs to fetch his pensive. Ginny and Remus followed him, and they went through his dreams in the privacy of his room. Harry put an arm around Ginny as she started crying again, though not as bad as before. They had a long conversation before Remus had to leave, and Ginny and Harry returned downstairs. It was late afternoon, and they found Draco asleep on the couch. Harry knew from experience it was because of the cruciatus curse. It was raining again. Harry and Ginny sat on the loveseat in the living room, Ginny leaning against Harry, his arm still around her.  
  
"What's that on your arm?" Ginny asked after a while.  
  
"It's just a scar." He answered.  
  
"It runs up your whole arm. What happened?" Harry sighed. He knew Ginny would not quit until she got an answer or he lost his temper.  
  
"When I was nine, I think, I was cutting up something to cook, and Dudley knocked into me. I fell over and sliced my arm with the knife. It wasn't too bad, I didn't even need stitches."  
  
"Oh Harry, those muggles can be so mean."  
  
"I've been through worse. Remember when Lockheart removed all my bones? I'm in the Hospital wing so much I'm surprised they haven't given me my own room. Trouble just seems to seek me out." Ginny laughed slightly at his words. She realized with a jolt that this was one of the few times since she was possessed that she had been really and truly happy. For the second time in two days she wished time would stop and she would be lost in the moment forever.  
  
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Please Review!


	8. The Kiss

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! If you have read my Marauder era story, no I have not given up on it, I am just waiting for my lazy-ass muse to give me some inspiration for the next chapter. Oh, and they finally hook up!! So you can stop pestering me about it!  
  
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Ginny and Harry remained in the living room for a while, enjoying the silence. Soon the clock chimed six, and they got up to make supper. Draco slept, having been given a dreamless sleep potion.  
  
"I'm going outside, it's stopped raining." Ginny said after they had eaten. Harry followed her out onto the back porch.  
  
"I wish I could fly again." Harry sighed.  
  
"As least Umbridge is gone; Dumbledore is sure to remove your ban. I think I'll try out for seeker now that almost all of the team has left school."  
  
If you're as good a chaser as a seeker you'll most likely get the spot. There seems to be a serious lack of talent in most of the lower years." They sat in silence once more before Draco found his way to the backyard.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked.  
  
"Sitting. Do you feel any better?" Ginny asked.  
  
"The potion helps. Err...thanks...for helping me." Ginny was shocked that a Malfoy had actually apologized. Harry began to laugh at the look on her face.  
  
"Master Harry!" Harry heard after his laughter had ceased. Looking around he quickly spotted the snake he had seen towards the beginning of Ginny's visit. She looked slightly distressed.  
  
"Hello Sara. Is something wrong?" He hissed in parseltongue. This time Draco was shocked and Ginny laughed at him.  
  
"There are great tall things in black cloaks heading this way. They look dangerous, and cause a great coldness when you get close to them. I did not want you to be in danger, and I wish not to encounter them again."  
  
"Come with me. You could be quite useful. You'll be safe with me." Harry said, holding out his left arm. The snake wound itself around his arm.  
  
"Get in the house." He said seriously, switching back to English with ease.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?"  
  
"Dementor's are headed this way, according to her." Harry explained, indicating the snake on his arm. Harry locked the doors and headed up to his fireplace.  
  
"Disconnected again; try your house Ginny." Harry said. Soon Charlie's head appeared amidst the flames.  
  
"Is Mum or Dad there?" she asked  
  
"No, it's just me and Bill." Charlie answered. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"We think Dementor's are coming this way. What should we do?"  
  
"We're under strict orders not to remove Harry from Privet Drive. Wait a minute and we'll come over. We'll alert the ministry so you won't get into any trouble if they detect magic."  
  
Soon Bill and Charlie tumbled out of the fireplace.  
  
"We should magically lock the doors and windows. It won't help much if death eaters show up, but it's worth a try." Immediately everyone jumped into action.  
  
"If it's only Dementor's, we're pretty safe. How did you find out?"  
  
"Sara told me." Harry indicated the snake still wrapped around his left arm.  
  
"Cool snake. Is she your pet? And what do you mean she 'told' you?" Charlie asked.  
  
"She's not my pet, and I can speak parseltongue. I thought you knew; it's how I saved Ginny." They seemed only mildly surprised.  
  
"I remember now. What's he doing here? Malfoy, I presume?" Bill asked, noticing Draco for the first time.  
  
"He didn't want to be a deatheater, Voldemort got mad, he escaped, and now he's staying here because it's safer." Harry explained in a rush. It was now nighttime, and they sat in they sat in the living room to talk. There was a roll of thunder overhead and they were plunged into darkness.  
  
"What was that?" Someone asked.  
  
"Power went out. I'll get some candles.  
  
"No need Harry." Charlie said an incantation and soon the room was ablaze with light.  
  
"Can everyone cast a patronus charm?" Harry asked.  
  
"Bill and I can." Charlie said.  
  
"Not well" Ginny answered.  
  
"A what?" Draco asked.  
  
"Bill, Charlie, can you shrink the furniture and put a shield spell over the stereo and television? We should all go over some basic spells." Harry asked.

"Do you want to lay somewhere or stay where you are? I'm going to be moving around a bit." Harry said, switching to parseltongue to converse with the snake still on his arm. He could tell the others were staring at him.  
  
"I'll stay here, it's warm, unless you don't want me to." Sara answered. "I used to be a pet and often stayed like this when my owner was moving around a lot."  
  
"A patronus spell is used to ward off Dementor's." Harry explained to Draco.

"Concentrate on a happy memory and say Expecto Patronum." Harry demonstrated, a brilliant white stag appearing from his wand. "It's quite hard don't worry if it doesn't take shape right away. Charlie, Bill, can I see yours?" As they cast the charm a miniature Dragon flew into the room accompanied by a lion from Bill's wand.  
  
"Excellent. Ginny, try yours." A silver mist was all that happened. "Try again, think of something happier. Remember that it's easier here than with a dementor hunting you down. You really have to want it." Ginny concentrated on the memory of being held in Harry's arms as she sobbed into his chest. A huge snake like animal burst forth. Ginny fainted, and Harry caught her.  
  
"A Basilisk." He said. Ginny quickly came to.  
  
"I'm sorry. It just startled me. I won't faint again." She assured her brothers.  
  
"It's the Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets, of course it scared you. Do you want to try again?" This time Ginny stared it straight in the eye, standing strong.  
  
"Okay. Malfoy, let's see yours." Draco, who had been practicing as the others showed there's produced a silver mist.  
  
"You need a happier memory, and to concentrate very hard on it." This time an elegant eagle burst forth. They spent the rest of the evening going over the disarming, stunning, and various shield spells. Soon the clock chimed eleven.  
  
"How about we all bunk here tonight?" Bill said, conjuring several squishy sleeping bags and pillows. Charlie cast a softening spell on the floor and immediately flopped down in the center of the room, his brother beside him. Draco took the far wall and Harry retreated to a corner, Ginny following him. Snoring announced that the others had fallen asleep.  
  
"What memory did you use?" Harry said, turning to face a very close by Ginny.  
  
"Umm...when you were holding me; after I had seen your dream." She whispered, blushing.  
  
"That's the same memory I thought of." Harry admitted. They lay there, staring into each other's eyes. Slowly they moved closer, and they're lips touched. Harry's hand moved to the side of her face as hers tangled itself in his hair. They kissed softly, passionately, until Harry suddenly pulled away.  
  
"I'm sorry." He whispered.  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Ginny...I – I love you. I just wanted you to know."  
  
"Oh Harry. I tried so hard to forget you when you ignored me, but it only turned my crush into love. I love you Harry." They both moved in for another kiss, deeper, but still pure passion.  
  
"You'll be my Girlfriend?" He asked.  
  
"Of course." They soon fell asleep, hands clasped together. Harry found himself once more in the graveyard that had haunted his dreams for years.  
  
"Harry?" He turned around, and there was Ginny.  
  
"How did you get here?"  
  
"We're dream sharing. Not all wizards can do it, but quite a few can." Ginny explained as Dream Harry and Cedric appeared. She watched as he fell lifeless, staring up with cold, empty eyes. She watched as their surroundings shifted and Harry shouted when Sirius fell through the veil. Once more their surroundings shifted. It was Hogwarts, only the ground was littered with bodies. There had been an attack. Suddenly the corpses began to chant as they stood, surrounding Harry as he fell to his knees, their cold lifeless eyes boring into him.  
  
"It's your fault. You let this happen to us. It's all your fault." They chanted.  
  
"My fault, all my fault." Harry whispered as tears streamed down his face. Ginny willed herself to wake.  
  
"Harry! Are you okay? It's not your fault, you can't keep blaming yourself!"  
  
"I'm fine. I try not to."  
  
"How many times have you had that dream?"  
  
"Only once before. Let's get back to sleep, it's early." Harry said, kissing her forehead, then her lips. They leaned their heads together for a moment.  
  
"I'm the luckiest girl alive." Ginny whispered, snuggling close to Harry and soon falling asleep. He lay listening to her gentle breathing, the rhythm lulling him to sleep.  
  
-  
  
Please Review!!


	9. The Attack

A/N: I'm not dead. I got arrested, spent the night in a holding cell crammed in with seven friends and my sister, then got grounded for it. So life basically sucks right now. It's approaching midnight now, so I'm posting this while my parents are asleep. Please review, and thank you to everyone who has so far.  
  
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Harry was once again woken by nightmares, but this time it was an old childhood dream. A flash of green light, and cruel laughter, this time accompanied by the shouted conversation he heard whenever Dementor's drew near. As it progressed to the department of Mysteries, he woke with a start. Instantly he noticed the preternatural cold permeating throughout the house. He looked down to where Ginny's warm body was nestled against his, her head tucked in the hollow between his neck and shoulder. He gently shook her awake.  
  
"The Dementor's are here." He said. Instantly she was alert. Harry woke Draco as he walked around the house surveying the situation outside and Ginny woke her brothers – not an easy task. As Harry came back, he cast a spell causing water to dump onto the eldest Weasley boys. Instantly they were awake.  
  
"What's wrong?" Bill asked, wide-awake and slightly mad.  
  
"The Dementor's are here; about twenty, and three death eaters. I'm almost positive that it's McNair, Wormtail," he growled out the hated name, then turned his piercing gaze to Draco, an almost sympathetic look flashing across his face for a second, "and your father."  
  
"I'm fine. How do you know it's them?" Draco asked, correctly interpreting Harry's look.  
  
"Lately my connection to Voldemort has grown. Remember the article in fourth year saying I had collapsed in divination? It was because of the connection." He paused, considering whether or not he wished to share the truth with the three other men. Finally he sighed and continued.  
  
"I have...visions...of Voldemort, when he's feeling...particularly emotional. His death eaters are often present, and those three are in the inner circle. I could recognize them anywhere...Enough talking; they could attack at any time. Wait for them to make the first move, and don't let them cut off the front hall. The stairs and door are our escape routes." Harry quickly changed the subject.  
  
"What if we hid on the upstairs landing? We can cast a shield charm around it, and they will probably look downstairs first. Two or three people can cast a patronus charm while the others hold off the death eaters." Ginny suggested.  
  
"That's brilliant Ginny!" Charlie exclaimed.  
  
"No wonder you're the only one Ron can't beat at chess." Harry laughed. The five of them quickly ran up the stairs, and Bill and Charlie set up a complex shield charm.  
  
"Wait for them to make the first move. They won't know about you two, and it's possible they don't know of you, Malfoy. I'm not so sure if they know you're here Ginny." Harry instructed.  
  
Harry startled them as he moved almost faster than they could see, quickly casting a spell on each of them. They all felt as if a cool liquid was seeping down their bodies as they watched each other blend into the background.  
  
"Disillusionment charms. Great idea." Bill murmured.  
  
"How are we supposed to see each other?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Wait a minute. I found a variation of it in a spell book that will allow all those under the spell to see each other. It will just take a moment longer." Harry told them. Just as they began reappearing to each other, the front door was blasted off its hinges. Dementor's flooded in, and a voice shouted orders to them.  
  
"Search the downstairs first. I want Potter, the girl, and my son brought to me unharmed. Any others you may do as you please." Lucius Malfoy barked out. As the Dementor's fanned out, the three deatheater's began to stalk slowly up the stairs.  
  
"Stunning spells on three." Harry whispered. "One...two...three! Stupify!" Charlie and Bill aimed for McNair, who was too slow and tumbled down the stairs. Harry and Ginny had aimed for Wormtail, who blocked the spells with his silver hand, the dark magic in it nullifying the spells. Draco had aimed for his father, who expertly blocked it, reflecting it back towards Draco. It dissipated seconds before hitting him, the shield blocking it.  
  
"Come out, come out where ever you are." Malfoy taunted. (A/N: Draco is Draco and Lucius is Malfoy, if you can understand that.)  
  
"Really now, did you think you could escape the Dark Lord so easily? But with you here, it has made my task so much easier. One stop shopping, so to say. You my so called son, Potter, and his little girlfriend, the Dark Lord will be pleased." Malfoy continued, staring around truing to locate the three teens. The Dementor's began gathering behind the two death eaters, and Harry felt his companions tense.  
  
"Ginny, Bill and Charlie cast a patronus charm." Harry whispered. The Dementor's pulled back as the trio of silvery beasts charged. Then Bill's lion pounced, its claw and teeth sinking into the creature. The dementor burst into brilliant indigo and black flames, quickly disintegrating as the lion moved on. Suddenly curses began flying towards them as the two death eaters pulled down the shield. Harry's patronus joined the fight as he flung curse after curse at anything that moved. The entire scene had an otherworldly feel, the entire area lit only by the patronus and occasional jet of light from a spell, or burst of flame from a dementor.  
  
Everyone was feeling the effects of the dementor's, even as their numbers dwindled. Draco tried to produce his patronus, but failed, the Dementor's finally driving him into unconsciousness. Harry turned as Draco fell, to make sure he was alive, but was hit with the cruciatus curse. As he writhed in pain, he willed himself to concentrate on a spell, any spell. Wormtail's spells were nothing compared with Voldemort, and Harry was able to cast a minor jinx. Many wizards did not know you could fight the cruciatus. They made the mistake of focusing on the pain. But if one still had his wand, and enough concentration, they could still use magic.  
  
Abruptly the pain stopped, only to be replaced by cold as Harry lay panting. As Ginny fell beside him, he stood up, but did not notice her as he fought off the pain. Luckily his patronus had stayed intact, and there was now less than ten dementors left. Harry cast a spell, flinging Wormtail across the hall. As he slid down the wall, Harry sent two stunning spells at him, then a spell to bind him in ropes.  
  
Bill and Charlie had been working together, hurling curses at the two death eaters. As Ginny fell, Charlie directed his patronus to keep guard over her and Draco. They had now been pushed back into the hall as the dementors forced their way upstairs. Then Bill fell as he was hit with a spell from the remaining death eater. Charlie sent a curse at him as Harry cast a stunning spell. He fell, and the last several Dementor's stalked towards them, not wanting to give up their prey. Charlie dragged his brother back as they advanced, not wanting his brother to be taken by the dementors, but could not resist them, fainting as two burst into flame.  
  
Harry watched as Charlie slumped to the ground. He directed his patronus towards the dementors as he sunk to his knees. They burst into flame one after the other, as Harry slowly sunk to the ground. Just before the darkness claimed him, he saw Remus, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rush in, and heard Molly Weasley shriek at the sight before her.  
  
When Harry woke, his first thought was that he was back in the hospital wing. The mattress he was on, and the feel of the sheets was all too familiar. But as he became more aware, he knew it wasn't so. He slowly opened his eyes to find an impromptu hospital wing in his own living room. He turned his head to find Ginny beside him, sitting on the ground, her head resting by his shoulder. On his other side was Remus, asleep in his chair, while on his right Draco was unconscious in his bed. Looking out the window, Harry saw it was late night, most likely the next day. He lay still, not wanting to get up just yet, still feeling a dull pain from the cruciatus curse. Ginny stirred when he moved a bit, and opened her eyes.  
  
"Morning." He whispered. "How long have I been out?" Harry asked. Ginny instantly pounced on him, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug, then loosened her grip to kiss him.  
  
"Oh Harry! I was so scared." She confided. "You've only been out a day. I was stunned, and they woke me as soon as they got here. Bill was moved to Hogwarts, he was hit with some weird curse, but he'll be okay." Ginny answered, her eyes beginning to water.  
  
"It's okay Ginny. I'm fine, you're not hurt, no one was seriously hurt." He said, paused a minute, then asked, "What happened to the deatheater's?" Ginny paused a minute before answering.  
  
"Malfoy and McNair got away, but Wormtail didn't. He was taken to Azkaban, and Remus testified and got Sirius' name cleared." Ginny said, excitedly at the end. Harry closed his eyes and smiled; a genuine smile.  
  
"If only he had lived to see it." Harry said, tears glistening in his eyes now. He wiped them away as Madame Pomfrey bustled in.  
  
"Good, you're awake. Here, eat this." She said, handing him some chocolate. She measured out some potion from a vial, and handed it to him also. He recognized it as a potion to help dull the after effects of the cruciatus curse. She also Handed Ginny some chocolate.  
  
"You should be in bed, what with all you've been through." She frowned at Ginny.  
  
"I have to go tend the Weasley boys." She told Remus, who had woken up. "When Mr. Malfoy there wakes up, give him this and some chocolate." She said, handing Remus a potion. "And Severus sent your Wolfsbane." She said, handing him three more vials. He set down most of the things, and then downed one vial, grimacing at the taste.  
  
"Hello Harry. Feeling okay?" He asked. "Good job catching Wormtail, we got Sirius' name cleared."  
  
"Ginny told me. I feel fine." He answered.  
  
"No more visions I hope. Do you need more potions yet?"  
  
"No, I haven't had anymore visions, and I still have plenty of potions. When's the full moon?"  
  
"Night after tomorrow, the 25th; the reason I didn't go on that mission for Dumbledore."  
  
"Any idea how the deatheater's found me? They didn't use to know where I lived." Harry asked, sitting up.  
  
"Wormtail, since he was Ron's pet, he had heard your address, and when they came for you after first year he was with them. Snape brewed a memory potion, and had to get Wormtail to remember the address. I believe that was the potion they were talking about in your dream. We only just found this out from Severus, he told us as soon as he got back. It seems Voldemort sent them as soon as he found out your address. The Dementor's Voldemort sent were renegade. Not all of them work at Azkaban, and the ones that don't are on his side."  
  
"Voldemort's not going to wait very long to get the rest on his side. Maybe these dreams could be useful." Harry thought aloud.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Every once in a while I see one of his deatheater meetings. It could be a good chance to do a little snooping, and no one will get hurt."  
  
"Except for you Harry; I guess we'll have to let you, we don't know how to stop the dreams. Dreamless sleep potion can only be taken for so long." Remus admitted, too tired to argue.  
  
They discontinued their conversation as Draco stirred. Remus did what Madame Pomfrey had instructed, then with a wave of his wand returned the room to normal and left, explaining that he was needed at headquarters. The three teens headed upstairs, it being quite late by now.  
  
Once again, Ginny would not let Harry sleep on the floor, instead sharing her own bed with him. They lay silently for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. Harry held Ginny gently in his arms, staring into the depths of her beautiful eyes. Harry's eyes were almost luminescent, and Ginny was sure if she had been standing she would have gone weak at the knees. His piercing gaze, unhindered by his glasses, was almost too much as he looked at her, seeming to see straight through her, to her very soul. Ginny also saw the pain and torment Harry always kept to himself, only his eyes betraying his emotions. They both leaned in for a kiss before drifting off to sleep.  
  
Voldemort was furious. Not only had the blundering idiots he called his servants failed to capture three teenagers, but they had also let one of his more loyal deatheater's be captured. Now he lay in a cell, completely useless, having been given the kiss. All he knew was raw anger, directed at the pathetic forms of McNair and Malfoy screaming on the floor, and anyone unfortunate enough to get within his sight range.  
  
Ginny was woken up by Harry tossing and turning beside her. She grabbed her pillow and smacked him with it, irritated at being woken so early. She became a little concerned when he did not awake. He was usually a preternaturally light sleeper. She climbed out of the bed, noticing the signs of a nightmare. But even during his nightmares he would awake at the slightest touch. She became worried, and her suspicions were confirmed as he began to convulse and scream. She quickly moved to restrain him.  
  
"Holy shit, what's wrong with him?" Draco said, having been woken instantaneously when Harry screamed.  
  
"Vision...Voldemort..." she managed, struggling with the writhing boy.  
  
"Can I do anything?" He asked, concerned. They were getting along much better now. The dementor attack seemed to have done much the same thing the Troll attack had done to Harry, Ron and Hermione, forging a new friendship.  
  
"Go get some cold water and some washcloths, and bring them back here please." Ginny said. As he left, Ginny crawled back onto the bed, straddling his hips and holding down his arms as he convulsed violently. She noticed his scar had begun to bleed, and accidentally let his arm slip out of her grasp. It slammed against the wall with a sickening crack. Her weight kept him in place as she reached out for his arm and gently held it at his side. Draco came back, seeming slightly amused at Ginny's antics. Ginny just issued him another order.  
  
"Under the bed is a box. There are a bunch of potions. Find a post cruciatus potion. Get a blood replenishing potion too; he's bleeding an awful lot, and anything that might fix a broken bone." Ginny said. Draco was amazed at her calm demeanor.  
  
"What if they react badly together? It could kill him."  
  
"No, it won't. Remus only gave us potions that can be mixed, and Snape made all the potions himself. It's perfectly safe." Soon Draco carried over three vials.  
  
"What happens now? Can't you wake him up?" He asked a slight trace of worry in his voice. Ginny was slightly surprised at how much he had changed in only a few weeks.  
  
"Nothing works. We tried quite a few spells last time, but it doesn't work. Remus is researching new spells and potions, but there's nothing so far." Ginny told him. Harry became still for a moment, and Ginny arranged him and herself more comfortably. Moments later, the convulsing started again. Ginny watched helplessly as the bed was soaked with Harry's blood. She was sure he would die soon of blood loss if it did not stop, yet he still had enough blood in him to produce dark bruises all over. Draco noticed the tears streaming down Ginny's face as she sat there. Soon small cuts appeared on his skin. She was almost positive he would either die or be driven insane.  
  
Then, all of a sudden his eyes flew open and his back arched as he gasped for breath. He crashed back down on the bed, panting and gasping.  
  
"H-Harry?" Ginny asked shakily. He looked at her, and she got off him then helped him sit up slightly to drink the post cruciatus potion. He lay as if dead for a few more minutes, and slowly his breathing returned to normal. Most of the cuts healed over, and the bruises faded, but were still there.  
  
"Harry...can you understand me?" Ginny asked after about fifteen minutes.  
  
"I'm still sane." He said in a hoarse whisper. She hugged him gently, still crying, but now they were tears of joy. She took a cool, wet washcloth and wiped the blood gently from his forehead, then laid a clean one over his forehead. Next she handed him a blood-replenishing potion.  
  
"What's that for?" he asked.  
  
"Your scar was bleeding; you've lost a lot of blood. It's a blood replenishing potion." She explained. Harry frowned, just noticing the blood covering him, the bed, and Ginny's hands and arms.  
  
"What's wrong with my arm? The pain should have numbed by now." He asked confused.  
  
"You broke it. Here, this will fix it." She said, handing the third vial. Ginny sat on the bed, Harry's head lying in her lap while she carefully cleaned most of the blood off of him.  
  
"You need a headache potion?" she asked as he moved his head and groaned.  
  
"Yes." He said.  
  
"I got it." Draco said. "What happened?" he asked, handing Ginny the vial. She glared at him.  
  
"McNair and Malfoy got their punishment." Harry said slowly. "Voldemort was furious at them."  
  
"Why didn't you call a healer?" Draco asked after a pause.  
  
"Cause he's Harry Potter. Remember all those Rita Skeeter articles in fourth year? "Harry Potter, Deranged and Dangerous" or whatever it was? Some people believed it; especially when the Daily Prophet kept up the image. Either the healer would have tripped over herself trying to get away, or if she believed his 'tragic hero' complex, tripped over herself trying to help him and get his autograph. Plus, right now isn't the safest time for Harry." Ginny said.  
  
"I'd almost forgotten about fourth year." Draco said.  
  
"Lucky you" Harry grumbled.

"Impossible for me to forget; at least I'll always remember Draco Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret; no one will forget that!" Harry and Ginny burst out laughing while Draco sat fuming in his chair. They stopped as Harry began coughing, hacking up blood. Ginny rubbed his back as he lay on his side, clenching the edge of the mattress. After a moment he stopped and lay back down. Ginny ran her fingers through his hair, avoiding the part still matted down with blood. She noticed he had begun trembling.  
  
"You should rest Harry. The potion is wearing off, and it's only been an hour."  
  
"I take it this isn't a recent development?" Draco asked.  
  
"He's been hiding it all summer. He would lie in his room, without potions, and let it wear off. Harry, how did you keep your Uncle from hearing you scream?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I didn't." he said quietly, unconsciously reaching for his arm. Ginny noticed a scar where he had touched his arm.  
  
"Harry James Potter!" she said angrily. "He beat you, didn't he!" she shouted. "If I ever get a hold of him, he'll wish he was never born."  
  
"Ginny, calm down. I'm perfectly fine."  
  
"All those scars, it's because of those muggles, isn't it? I bet that gash on your arm wasn't an accident. How long Harry? How long have they been doing this?" Ginny ranted.  
  
"Calm down Ginny, I never said he beat me."  
  
Harry was trembling badly now, so instead of arguing she helped him into a chair, changed the bed sheets, grabbed a dreamless sleep potion and crawled into the bed with him. Draco returned to his own bed, and Ginny had Harry drink the potion. Harry fell asleep almost instantly, and Ginny snuggled up close to him, his warm presence comforting her. She never had liked being alone. She breathed in his tantalizing scent, trying to ignore the traces of blood. Soon she drifted off to sleep for the third and final time that night.  
  
-  
  
Please Review!


	10. The Day After

A/N: Wow, I didn't expect that huge a response. You guys are the best! I'm trying my hardest to not get grounded anymore, and summer is coming up soon, so I'm hoping to be able to update a lot. Thank you again for all the lovely reviews, I'm sorry I haven't been replying. I did it once, and it took forever, and right now I still have to sneak online late at night.

Ignore anything that doesn't sound right. I'm trying to write a story set in England, when I know next to nothing about it. In one of my reviews, someone mentioned that what I wrote "Sounds like New England weather." Well, I live way out in the countryside of Maine, which, for all of you who don't know, is in New England. I live in Industry, population 600. There is no school, post office, or any kind of store, except for a small variety store on the lake called "The Ugly Moose." Every year there is a neon orange sign advertising Budweiser beer, and saying "Welcome Hunters." I go to school in Farmington, along with people from several other small towns that don't have schools. In fact, people from nine different towns attend my high school. So please don't blame me too much for any "Americanisms," I can't help it. –Ginny woke up a little after nine the next morning. She looked at Harry as he slept beside her. Almost all evidence of Harry's vision was gone. Only the trembling and a few faint bruises remained. She wondered why the pain made him shake. Maybe something to do with his nerves. Ginny got up and headed downstairs. She grabbed herself an apple and some juice, then headed back to Harry's room. Her temper flared as she caught sight of the numerous locks on Harry's door, remembering the conversation last night.  
  
Ginny ate her breakfast silently, and then made sure Harry was comfortable. She placed a cool cloth on his forehead, noticing his scar was still blood red, contrasting dramatically with his pale skin. As she picked up the empty vials, she noticed a large bloodstain on her clothes. Harry's blood. Her eyes began to water and she reluctantly left Harry's side to shower and change her clothes.  
  
When she returned to the room, Draco was awake. He seemed to be doing his homework. Ginny gathered up the bloody sheets she had removed from Harry's bed last night. She filled the bathroom sink with cold water and let her clothing and the sheets soak.  
  
"Morning Draco" She said, returning to the room. She grabbed her potion book out of her trunk, deciding it was about time she started the giant essay that Snape had assigned. She sat on the floor by Harry, leaning against his bed.  
  
The morning passed slowly and silently. Just before noon, Harry moved as if to sit up, but moaned almost silently and lay still. Ginny got a potion and sat on the bed beside him.  
  
"Time to wake up now" She teased. Harry opened his eyes, looking up at her. She helped him sit up and drink the potion. He leaned against her as the potion took affect. Ginny frowned slightly. It had taken much longer for his trembling to cease. She didn't worry herself too much, remembering he had been under the curse a lot longer this time.  
  
"Thanks." He said. "Could you get me a glass of water please?" He asked.  
  
"I'll get you some breakfast." Ginny said.  
  
"It's noon." Draco cut in "Then I'll get you some lunch."  
  
"I'm not hungry." Harry told her.  
  
"Too bad what do you want?"  
  
"Whatever's easiest" Harry said, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. Harry was reminded of Mrs. Weasley, always forcing food onto him. Ginny disappeared for a few minutes, and then returned with a bowl of cut up fruit and a glass of water. As Harry finished his food, a tiny brown blur flew through the window.  
  
"What is that?" Draco asked.  
  
"Pig" Harry said.  
  
"Ron's owl" Ginny added at his confused look whilst trying to capture the ecstatic owl.  
  
"Only Weasley would name that thing Pig." Draco laughed.  
  
"Actually I named him. His proper name is Pigwidgeon but Ron insists on calling him Pig." Ginny said, finally having gotten Ron's letter. As soon as Pig left, a large tawny owl flew in. It had two letters, one for Harry and one for Ginny. Ginny read Ron's letter out loud.  
  
Dear Harry and Ginny,Are you two okay? I heard there was an attack on Harry's house,  
but I don't know anything else. You weren't hurt, were you? I'm going  
to have to hurt you Harry if anything happened to my sister. I also  
heard that Malfoy is living with you. Is that true? How can you stand  
him? Remus, Tonks, and Moody will be at your house when the Muggles  
come back, to explain about you, Ginny I still can't believe they sent you instead of me. Hermione and I are now completely healed, and Hermione is coming over in a couple weeks. Dumbledore is considering letting you stay at either the Burrow or Headquarters for the last week of vacation. I can't wait. Write back ASAP, okay?Ron"What does he mean they are completely healed?" Draco asked, having heard Ginny reading the letter.  
  
"The attack at the ministry, in June: Hermione and Ron were hurt." Ginny said carefully, not wanting to upset Harry too much. She saw the pained look in his eyes at the memory of that night.  
  
"What exactly happened? All anyone knows is that You-Know-Who was at the ministry." He asked. "Great" Ginny thought. She looked to Harry, to know what to do. He saw the concern in her eyes.  
  
"It's okay." Harry reassured her. She wrapped her arms around him, sitting slightly behind him and resting her chin on his shoulder. He turned to Draco.  
  
"Deatheater's attacked us. They were after a prophecy about Voldemort and me. Most of us were hurt in the fight. Then Voldemort appeared. He tried to kill me again, but Dumbledore had come and blocked it. Dumbledore and Voldemort dueled. Some spell was broken, and the ministry workers returned. They caught sight of Voldemort, and he left." Ginny could tell he was skipping over parts, but didn't bring attention to it.  
  
"Your Father was there. I guess he doesn't speak about his activities around you, does he? I never did see what they reported in the news." Harry said.  
  
"They basically just said that Voldemort was back, but there were no casualties at his first reappearance." Ginny said. "They lie too much. Here, why don't you open the second letter?" Ginny opened hers to find it was from Hermione.  
  
Dear Ginny,I heard that you and Harry were attacked at the Dursley's the  
other day. Are you all right? I hope no one was hurt. You and Harry  
are okay, right? Ron also told me Malfoy is staying with you. Are you  
sure you trust him? What if he told the death eaters where you are?  
What if he is a death eater? I really hope you're okay. On a happier note, Ron asked me out! I'm so happy. So anything going on between you and Harry? I know you still like him; don't try to lie to me. I'm going over to the Burrow in a couple weeks, and Professor Dumbledore is considering letting Harry come for the last week of summer. I can't wait.HermioneHarry's letter was almost the same, but without the part about Ginny liking him. Ginny finished hers before Harry did, and noticed he held the letter close to his face and was squinting slightly.  
  
"Are your glasses the right prescription Harry? You look like you're having trouble reading." Ginny said. Harry put down his letter, having finished it.  
  
"I don't know. It could be the Cruciatus curse affecting my eyesight." Harry said.  
  
"When was the last time you had a check up? Mum could always take you to our eye doctor." Ginny offered.  
  
"I think the last time I went to any doctor was when I was ten. I think I'll just go to a regular Muggle optometrist."  
  
"You should go this summer. Why don't you make an appointment? You could even get some contacts for when you play Quidditch."  
  
"I don't know how much it will cost. I'm not even sure how much muggle money I have."  
  
"It's not good for you to use the wrong prescription." Ginny said. Harry could sense an argument coming on.  
  
"Fine, I'll make an appointment. Happy?" He said.  
  
"Very." Ginny laughed. "I'm going to write back to Hermione, do you want to?"  
  
"Sure. We can write one letter to Ron."  
  
"Yeah, two letters might confuse him." Ginny joked. She walked over to Harry's desk and pulled out parchment, ink and quills, then grabbed two textbooks to use as a writing surface. She ran back to the bed and jumped onto it, spilling the supplies everywhere. She began her letter to Hermione first.  
  
Dear Hermione,Yes, we are fine. You asked about twenty times in your letter. I was stunned and was woken right after the fight. Bill was taken to Hogwarts, but is perfectly fine now. Draco and Harry were unconscious for a day, because of the Dementor's, and Harry pushed himself too hard. About Draco, yes he is staying with us, yes I trust him, no, he did not tell Voldemort where Harry is, and no, he is not a deatheater. The reason he is here is because he refused to become a deatheater, and was tortured by Voldemort and his own father, but he accidentally apparated himself to Privet Drive. He's our friend now and we trust him. Wormtail was the one who told Voldemort Harry's address. Only three death eaters were at the attack, and about twenty dementors. I really hope Dumbledore lets Harry come to the Burrow. All I have to say about you and Ron is finally! And I have no idea what you think might be going on between Harry and I. Oh, and with the muggles gone, you can call us here. Maybe even once they come back, if you don't mention Hogwarts. Say you're my sister, or you're checking up on me or something. Moody really scared those muggles from what I'm told. Can't wait to see you again.GinnyRon's letter turned out much the same, but in three different handwritings, as Draco felt the need to add in his thoughts on the subject. Just as they were finishing, Hedwig flew over.  
  
"Hey girl." Harry said; stroking her feathers as Ginny tied on the letters. "One is for Ron and two are for Hermione." She hooted in understanding before flying off. There was silence for a moment.  
  
"Hey, what happened to Sara?" Harry asked.  
  
"That snake? I don't know. She probably went back outside after the attack." Ginny said. There was silence again.  
  
"You learned the patronus charm fast." Harry observed. Draco looked a little sheepish.  
  
"It wasn't the first time. Father taught it to me this summer, only he called it by a different name." He explained.  
  
"Harry, what are you going to do when we get back to Hogwarts? It won't be easy to return to class's right after a nightmare." Ginny, who had been thinking, asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." Harry said after a moment. "I guess I didn't really think about that. Perhaps Remus or somebody else could find a cure."  
  
"Maybe you should let the order know. Snape, much as I hate to admit it, is probably the best Potions Master in all of Europe. He might know of something that could help you."  
  
"Maybe, If they get worse or we've come up with nothing by the middle of August, I'll consider it. I suppose Snape did save my life once, even if it was because of a debt to my father." There was silence again, but it was broken by a high-pitched beeping, causing Ginny and Harry to jump about a foot in the air. They quickly found the source: a very embarrassed and shocked Draco holding Dudley's broken alarm clock.  
  
"Press the button on the top." Harry growled, burying his head in his pillows. It stopped, and Harry resurfaced.  
  
"Any headache potions left?" He asked. Ginny got up and brought it to Harry. She also brought over a clean t-shirt from his wardrobe.  
  
"Here, that shirt has blood on it." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, but stripped off the bloody shirt, replacing it with the clean one.  
  
"Is that from the Basilisk?" She asked, pointing out a large, circular scar.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What Basilisk?" Draco asked.  
  
"The Basilisk in The Chamber of Secrets. It bit me."  
  
"You, survived a basilisk bite?" He asked in disbelief.  
  
"Fawkes healed it. Fawkes is a phoenix, Dumbledore's pet."  
  
"The truth is even more unbelievable than the truth." Draco muttered.  
  
"If you want, you can see it. I know you were unconscious for most of it Ginny. I just need my pensive." Ginny quickly got it for him, and the three jumped in.  
  
"Voldemort is a half-blood?" Draco asked upon returning, stunned.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I wonder how many deatheater's would still serve him if they knew that." Draco pondered out loud. Harry continued adding thoughts to his pensive. Screams echo for a moment before Harry quickly stirred them away. Ginny left to make supper, and they all went to bed early, having been woken so many times the night before.  
  
The next day passed in the same fashion, but this time Ginny had to fight with Harry about staying in bed. Ginny wanted to inform Remus, but Harry told her to leave him alone as it was the full moon that night.  
  
"On the second morning, Harry and Ginny awoke hopelessly tangled in the blankets. As they struggled, Harry began sliding off the bed. Ginny finally untangled her self, and Harry dropped to the floor. Her hand flew to her mouth as she exclaimed 'oops.'  
  
"I am so sorry Harry!" she said, extending her hand to help him up. Instead, Harry pulled her down on top of him and kissed her cheek. She glared at him, and a small wrestling match ensued.  
  
"I want to go to the beach! Is there a lake or something around here?"  
  
"I think there's a lake." Harry answered. "What if his highness over there doesn't want to go? He doesn't even know what half the stuff in this house does, we can't leave him."  
  
"Screw Draco, he'll be fine." Harry stared, Ginny almost never swore. She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Fine go wake sleeping beauty over there." Harry told her. She jumped from her bed to Draco's bed and began jumping up and down on it.  
  
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" She chanted. Draco threw a pillow at her. Harry and Ginny threw pillows at him. Then they all started throwing pillows. Fifteen minutes later they lay panting, sprawled on the beds and floor.  
  
"We're going to the beach." He told Draco before leaving to take a shower. Once they were all showered and ready, they headed into town. After a few minutes they found a subway station that was quite close to the lake. The lake was on the outskirts of the town, getting more into the countryside. It was packed with people. Harry hesitated just a little as they walked onto the beach, looking for an empty spot.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Ginny asked, slipping her hand into his.  
  
"Just a lot of people" He answered.  
  
"At least they're muggles. They don't know anything about you." She reassured him. Soon they found a place, and Ginny spread out a large beach blanket. It was actually an old king sized sheet that was off-white with black Celtic knots and designs all over it. She took off the sundress she had over her bathing suit to reveal a black halter-top bikini. Harry just stared thinking 'wow.' Ginny caught his eye and he turned away, blushing. She twisted her long hair into a messy bun and proceeded to rub on sunscreen.  
  
"Would you get my back for me?" she asked sweetly. Inside she was cracking up at his reaction; it was even better than when they had been at the pool in town. Harry obliged, and Ginny could sense his slight nervousness. She lay face down on the blanket looking at Harry.  
  
"Why don't you take you're shirt off?" she said. His hand went to his shoulder, but he took the shirt off. It was Ginny's turn to think wow. He lay next to her, toying with a loose strand of hair. After a while he sighed and got up.  
  
"Girls are boring." He stated. Draco had already headed for the water by this point.  
  
"I'm tanning, what do you expect me to do?" she laughed, turning over. Harry headed for the lake then remembered his wand. He didn't want to stray too far from it, concealed within a tote bag full of towels. But on the other hand, he had no pockets and didn't want to loose it. In the end he decided he couldn't be in too much danger here, and left it.  
  
He found Draco playing a game with some other boys their age. It was a bit like American football, but they only had volleyball to play with and it was going on in the middle of the swimming space. They quickly convinced Harry to join in, and they had a great time.  
  
Ginny finally joined them, and Harry had fun dunking her under water. A few other girls joined them, and a game of chicken broke out, the girls sitting on the boy's shoulders and trying to knock each other over. Ginny and Harry beat most the others before Draco decided to sneak up behind and push them over. They were tumbling around under water trying to untangle them selves when Ginny's top came untied. She squealed and pressed herself up against Harry until Draco retrieved it. Harry laughed and she glared at him as he helped her retie the bikini top. At least he had the common sense not to mention the incident for the rest of the day.  
  
They were completely exhausted by the time they decided to head home. The subway was packed, and Ginny ended up sitting on Harry, not wanting to stand. She nearly drove him crazy squirming around in his lap. She knew it too, and squirmed even more. About halfway through the trip he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her hips to keep her still. She laughed and twisted around to kiss him. She leaned back against him, his head resting on her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she placed her hands on top of his.  
  
"Get a good show today?" She teased. Harry blushed, and she laughed again.  
  
Finally they were back at Privet Drive. Ginny showered again while Harry cooked supper. They went to bed right after, having exhausted themselves at the beach. Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry, pressing herself against him again. Harry ran his fingers through her hair as they kissed. He felt her tongue run across his lower lip, entreating entrance, and he obeyed. He was mesmerized by her taste, her smell, and the movement of her tongue in his mouth. One of his hands traveled to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. He felt her hands run through his hair and down his back. Finally they broke the kiss for lack of oxygen. They leaned their heads together and soon fell asleep.  
  
-  
  
Please Review! 


	11. The Solution

A/N: Over 100 reviews!!! You guys are truly the best. Special thanks to its- me89 for being my 100th reviewer. I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner, but I had writer's block, and then I got an idea for a new story that I just had to write, and I neglected this story. Again I'm sorry, I'll try to update more often on the future. –

Ginny found herself once more in one of Harry's nightmares. She could usually prevent sharing dreams if she concentrated before bedtime, but had forgotten to. As she watched the corpses of her friends and family rise and chant she put her hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Harry?" she asked quietly. He seemed almost hypnotized by the corpses.  
  
"All my fault." He whispered as he turned to look at her. The pain and suffering she saw in his eyes frightened her. How could anyone go through so much? She clung to Harry, willing herself to wake up. And she did. And so did Harry. She stared at Harry for a moment, an idea forming.  
  
"Ginny?" Harry asked.  
  
"That's it!" she almost yelled.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Your dreams; when we dream share, like we just did, I woke you up. Maybe during your visions, if we dream share, I can wake you up. It's worth a try at least." Ginny explained quickly.  
  
"But what if they affect you too? I don't want you getting hurt Ginny. And don't we have to be touching to dream share? We can't when school starts." Harry said.  
  
"Just let me try it once. Please? Even if it's only for summer, it's that much less you have to live through. Please Harry, let me try." She pleaded.  
  
"Fine, Just once." Harry gave in. "Why don't we try to get another hour or two of sleep?" Harry suggested a little sleepily. Ginny lay back down and pulled her self close into Harry's body. She thought of the pained look on Harry's face during the dream. She had seen it before, in real life, usually after a nightmare. She thought of all that Harry had been through. How could one person have to suffer so much? Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.  
  
"Is something wrong? You're crying." Harry asked, pulling away slightly in order to see her better.  
  
"In the dream your eyes; you've been through so much. It's just not fair." Ginny said quietly.  
  
"Life isn't fair Ginny. You have to learn to accept it. I'm never going to have a perfect life until Voldemort and all his followers are destroyed. Even then I may not. Some other dark lord might rise, and we'll have to fight again. I may not even live to see Voldemort destroyed." Harry said.  
  
"Oh Harry, no! You can't die; I love you too much to lose you now." She added the last part in a quiet voice, her tears falling faster. Both of them were sitting up by now, and Harry pulled her into his lap, holding her gently as she sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and rocked her slightly, trying to comfort her. After a while she stopped crying and pulled back slightly, looking into Harry's eyes.  
  
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." She said quietly. Harry moved closer and kissed her softly, holding her as if she would break if he wasn't gentile.  
  
"We're safe for now. I couldn't stand to lose you either." Harry said. As they made themselves comfortable again, an owl flew in with a copy of The Daily Prophet.  
  
"Stupid owl" Harry muttered. "I thought my subscription ended." Harry said as he dug out three Knuts to pay the owl with. He threw the paper to the side and flopped back down on the bed. It was useless, as he couldn't fall back asleep, but he didn't get up as Ginny had fallen asleep, head on his chest. He played with her hair, which was splayed all over the bed, a wave of crimson.  
  
Around seven Draco woke up, making more noise than humanly possible. Ginny woke, glaring at Draco for even daring to wake her up before tossing a pillow at him.  
  
"What is this some new ritual for you two; bash Draco with pillows every morning!" Draco shouted. He was not a morning person. Ginny started laughing, and Harry lay staring at the ceiling. Ginny and Draco continued throwing pillows, Harry continuing to stare upwards.  
  
"Sometimes it's hard to tell whether you two are 15 and 16 instead of 8 and 9." Harry said. It didn't accomplish much, as they just turned their attack on him. After a few minutes they stopped, as Harry just ignored them, letting the pillows hit him. Harry decided he might as well read the paper that the owl delivered. As he glanced at the headlines he froze, staring at the paper in his hand.  
  
"Harry? What's wrong?" Ginny asked. Harry passed her the paper, and Ginny gasped once she read the front page.Family of Four MurderedJuly 27thLate last night neighbors reported a commotion at the Finnigan residence, home of Alicia and Douglas Finnigan and their two children, Seamus and Sara. Seamus, who recently celebrated his 16th birthday, attended Hogwarts and was roommates with Harry Potter. His younger sister Sara was due to begin Hogwarts this year. When Ministry Hit Wizards arrived, they found the family already dead and the dark mark hovering above the house. They were reportedly tortured to insanity before being hit with the killing curse.  
  
Ginny numbly lay the paper aside. She didn't want to read the rest of the article, which continued on for much of the first page. She sat perfectly still, trying to absorb this information, though not wanting it to be true.  
  
"What happened?" Malfoy asked. It took a minute before either of them could answer.  
  
"Seamus and his family were murdered by Voldemort." Harry said.  
  
"Thank Merlin you didn't have to see it." Ginny whispered.  
  
"He's trying to get to me. He knows I was upset when Cedric was killed, and I barely even knew him. Then Sirius...no one with any connections to me is safe." Harry said, mostly to himself.  
  
"It's not your fault Harry. Voldemort's just trying to upset you. None of those deaths were your fault. It's Voldemort's fault and only his. He chose to kill those people, not you."  
  
"You don't know the half of it. I'm the reason he's even able to kill anybody, I'm the reason he got his body back." Harry said, beginning to loose his temper.  
  
"Harry, listen to me. It. Is. NOT Your Fault." Ginny shouted. Harry snapped.  
  
"You don't even know the half of it. Do you want to know what happened at the third task? Voldemort used MY blood to resurrect himself, making him self stronger and negating the protection my mother sacrificed her life for. Yes it is my fault." Harry shouted  
  
"Harry James Potter, it is not your fault. Remember, I was the one who attacked all those students because of Voldemort possessing me. I learned not to blame myself. Once you have been possessed by him you can talk." Ginny yelled back.  
  
"Well guess what, he did possess me! Last June when he and Dumbledore were dueling he used me to get away, telling Dumbledore if he really wanted to kill him, to kill me while he was possessing me. You know nothing about my life and all the crap I've had to live through!" Harry said in a quiet, dangerous voice before turning around and leaving the house, slamming the doors behind him.  
  
Draco sat in stunned silence staring at the spot where Harry had been moments before. Ginny slid down the wall and began crying softly. Crying for Harry, crying because of the fight and crying because of her stupidity. A storm began, and Harry still did not return. The rain ended, but the thick gray clouds remained along with an unrelenting wind. Ginny didn't leave the corner she was crying in until she heard the door open and close around six. She ran down the stairs to find Harry dripping wet and freezing cold. She flung herself into his arms.  
  
"I'm so sorry Harry, I didn't mean it!" she sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
"It's okay Ginny. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, it just...happened." Harry said. They stood for a minute in each other's arms, but Harry started sneezing.  
  
"Oh, I hope you're not catching cold. Come get dried off. You're freezing cold." Harry had a high fever that night and Ginny made him eat soup and rest. By the next morning it was gone, and Harry was back to his normal self.  
  
"Odd, you had a really bad fever just last night." Ginny said in the morning.  
  
"I don't usually get sick. If I do, it usually goes away quickly. It's not like the Dursley's even cared if I was sick." Harry said. Ginny left the house for most of the afternoon, not allowing Harry to come. He was pretty sure she was out birthday shopping. She came back with a large box and a couple bags, and quickly stuffed them into her trunk, keeping them well out of Harry's sight. Remus surprised them that afternoon.  
  
"Hello Harry, Ginny, Mr. Malfoy." Remus said.  
  
"Hey Remus"  
  
"I brought you some more potions, thought you might be running low. Have you had any more visions? You didn't see the Finnigan's, did you?" Remus asked worriedly.  
  
"No, I didn't see Seamus, but I had a vision a few days ago. Voldemort was furious because Malfoy Sr., Wormtail, and McNair couldn't capture me." Harry answered.  
  
"It was really bad and his scar began bleeding a lot." Ginny added. Remus frowned.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Remus asked, concerned.  
  
"It was the full moon. I didn't want to bother you." Harry said sheepishly.  
  
"Oh. Draco, Dumbledore thinks it will be safe for you to come to Hogwarts now since he knows you are here. You have to stay here for a few more days, until August first."  
  
"Okay." Draco said.  
  
"That's all I really came for. I have to get back to headquarters to prepare for a meeting. Sorry I couldn't stay longer." Remus said before leaving. 


	12. The End but not the end

**Hello to everyone who's read this story. I am BlackRaven13, and SimplyComplex is my twin sister. She asked me to write this to explain why she hasn't updated. I'm afraid she will be unable to finish this story.**

**In the beginning of July she was in a bad car accident. She survived, but there was some permanent damage.**

**She has gone blind and lost the use of her left arm.**

**It is hard for her to type as our keyboard does not have Braille. I would type for her, but I have my own stories to work on, and I do not like Ginny/Harry pairings very well.**

**She has decided to put this story up for adoption.**

**Anybody wishing to 'adopt' this story please either leave a review or email me at please either give me a sample of writing or the title of one of your stories along with your penname here on FanFiction.**

**You have until September 7th to get in you email/review.**

**On September 10th we will announce the person who will gain control of this story.**

**My sister is truly sorry she cannot continue this, but she would rather someone finish it than let it drift into the world of unfinished fanfiction.**

**I hope you understand that it is quite hard on her to loose her sight. It took her so long to get this out because she was depressed. Again, she is sorry she cannot continue and hopes you understand. Please do not pity her, she is coping well and has had more than enough pity from others already.**

**Sorry, I meant to get up a note sooner, but school work got in the way. And Raven (My sister who is typing this for me) was sick.**

**This note is to inform you all that this story has been adopted and will continue. Froggyy1 will be taking over for me. Froggyy1 is working on the next chapter right now, and as soon as it is done will repost Over the Summer along with the new chapter.**

**Everyone give Froggyy1 a big round of applause for continuing this story!**

**SimplyComplex**

**(And Raven!)**

**Hello to all of the readers of Over the Summer. I would like to introduce myself; I go by Froggyy1 and the author of Can Love Find Me Now (it is my first try at a fan fiction story). I have many stories that I read and Over the Summer is one of them. The author and her sister SimplyComplex (the author) and BlackRaven13 (her twin sister) have allowed me to adopt Over the Summer. I hope I can finish this story for her and that all of you will enjoy it to the end. At this time I am not sure how long it will be but I want it to cover everything she had intended to add to the story. I have added this to her notes which would have been chapter 12 and I will start with Chapter 13 (lucky number for us I hope). This way anyone who has never read the story will understand the two different writing styles.**

**I have never met the author SimplyComplex but feel I know her from her story and I hope that I will do justice to it. All chapters that I write will be sent to SimplyComplex and her sister BlackRaven13 first for approval and then will be posted; so please be patient for the chapters to be posted. I have been told I do not have to have their approval but I feel to honor her I must do this. Thank you in advance for reading more of this story.**


	13. The Healing

**A Note from the original author and her sister (who wrote this for her)**

**Hello readers. If you have been with this story for a while, you know of the  
changes in authors. If you are new to this story, please know that the first  
11 chapters were written by a different author, SimplyComplex.  
Unfortunately, she was involved in a car accident and lost her sight, making it hard to continue the story by her self. Froggyy1, the current author, agreed to take over the story for her. All give Froggyy1 a big round of applause, without her this story would have died! Thank you to all of the  
people who reviewed while SimplyComplex was writing this, she greatly  
appreciated it and is disappointed that she couldn't continue, and thank you to everyone who continues to read and review this story, it is still much appreciated.**

**Hello to all of the readers of Over the Summer. I would like to introduce myself; I go by Froggyy1 and the author of Can Love Find Me Now (it is my first try at a fan fiction story). I have many stories that I read and Over the Summer is one of them. The author and her sister SimplyComplex (the author) and BlackRaven13 (her twin sister) have allowed me to adopt Over the Summer. I hope I can finish this story for her and that all of you will enjoy it to the end. At this time I am not sure how long it will be but I want it to cover every thing she had intended to add to the story. I have added this to her notes which would have been chapter 12 and I will start with Chapter 13 (lucky number for us I hope). This way anyone who has never read the story will understand the two different writing styles.**

**I have never met the author SimplyComplex but feel I know her from her story and I hope that I will do justice to it. All chapters that I write will be sent to SimplyComplex and her sister BlackRaven13 first for approval and then will be posted; so please be patient for the chapters to be posted. I have been told I do not have to have their approval but I feel to honor her I must do this. Thank you in advance for reading more of this story.**

**Chapter 13 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been written and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her. **

The three sat in total silence for a while; Harry, Ginny and Draco not knowing what could be said. Draco would leave in four days; he would be alone for the first time since that night at Malfoy manner. The old Draco Malfoy would have hated to be sent to Hogwarts during the summer but not this time, not after what his father had done to him. He had really thought what his father had taught him was the right way to be but now he knew better. He would not admit to anyone that he was going to miss the two Gryffindor's; they had helped him after all and they had come to an understanding. They were not quite friends but there was trust and a bond between them now. Ginny broke the silence first; she really hated it when it was too quiet.

"So, what are we going to do the rest of the day; any ideas?" Ginny asked

"I would like to go shopping, but all I have is wizard money so we would have to go to Diagon Ally so I could exchange some." Draco said

"We all need to just rest today and then maybe tomorrow go shopping. What do you want to go shopping for Draco?" Ginny asked

"Well Ginny, I know it may sound weird, because it does to me saying it, but I figure I need to buy some presents and some clothes."

"You don't have to get a present." Harry said.

"I want to if that is ok with the great Harry Potter." Draco said giving him a sly smirk.

"It is the proper thing to do and I really need some new clothes."

"Well, we'll have to catch the night bus, that way we can get to Diagon Ally. Gringotts only, then we go straight back to muggle London. We can't take any chances getting caught there and Remus would kill us for going."

"Deal, so that means that we will do all of our shopping in muggle London?" Draco asked

"Yes Draco"

"Does that sound ok to you Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry, but we have to make sure we take the potions with us just in case, ok?" Ginny said.

"Yes Mother." Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"That's not funny Harry; you never know when you might be affected by Voldemort again." Ginny said seriously.

"Can't you refer to him as the dark lord or something?" Draco asked.

"No" came from both Harry and Ginny

"OK fine, but I agreed under protest."

"Are we going to eat before we go or are we going to eat in town?"

"I say in town. I have never eaten in a muggle restaurant before and I would like to try if that is ok." Draco said.

"If it's ok with Ginny, we all have to agree."

"Harry I don't mind but we can't be out to late. Do you think Tonks will be the guard tomorrow? If she is she can go with us to make sure we are all safe. That way Remus will be less likely to kill us if he finds out."

"Ok, I will floo Remus and see if she is here and if not if she can go with us; that way he knows we are being safe." Harry said.

"Sounds good" came from Ginny and Draco.

Ginny went into the bathroom and cleaned up and got dressed; Draco had to barrow some clothes from Harry (since he only had the cloths on his back) and the others were dirty (mental note: buy me some cloths Draco and Harry thought) and went into Dudley's room to change. When the two came back into Harry's room he had a smile on his face.

"Tonks is my guard today but will be off tomorrow, so we should have no problems but I will ask her if she will go with us if she can." Harry informed them.

"Good, so what will we do today? It is so boring here." Draco complained.

"Well Draco, we have been watching TV and watching movies. We can do that since there are so many that we haven't even watched yet." Harry said.

"What is TB and Movies?" Draco asked.

"TV, Draco, is a form of muggle entertainment, as is movies. It would just be easier to show you then try to explain it and that way you two are relaxing and healing" Ginny said.

"Weas…Ginny, are you always so bossy?" Draco asked

"Someone has to make sure that the two of you rest and heal properly or Remus, my mum and brother would kill me for not watching over Harry and as far as you Draco, I have to make sure that you are ok so that your mum doesn't have my head." Ginny answered

"She'll worry but will do as she is told by my father, so it doesn't matter." Draco said sullenly

"Everyone matters, no matter what you think. We choose if we will be good or bad. You made the choice to not follow Voldemort and his deatheater's. That means you have a good heart." Ginny said.

"Thanks" Draco said.

"Welcome"

"Ok, can I see this TB and movies?" Draco asked

"It's T V Draco not TB and yes we can watch TV for a while then I will make dinner and we can watch movies until we go to bed." Harry said.

They all settled into the living room, Harry turning on the TV and sat back and watched some cartoons, news, and a few of the shows that were on that afternoon. At four-thirty Harry went into the kitchen and started dinner, seasoning the chicken and placing it into the oven, setting the timer and then going back to watch TV with Ginny and Draco. He had decided to cook baked chicken, creamed potatoes (mashed potatoes to us southerners) and gravy, spring baby peas, carrots, and for dessert an apple pie that Mrs. Weasley had sent, topped with ice cream. At six-thirty he went and checked on the chicken; which was just about ready so he started his other dishes. At seven o'clock he called the others into dinner.

He pulled out a chair for Ginny and then sat down beside her, Draco just sat there with his mouth open. He had been brought up with house-elves doing all the cooking and serving he didn't know where to start. Ginny noticed the look on his face and had to laugh.

"Draco what's the matter?"

"House-elves cooked this right?" Draco asked.

"No, I cooked it Draco, muggles don't have house-elves. Is it hard to believe that people can cook with out the help of elves?" Harry said.

"Yes, I mean no, wow…but is it safe to eat?" Draco asked.

"He has cooked for me since I have been here and I am still alive." Ginny said.

"Just so you know Draco I cook all the time; my family," Harry said the word family with gritted teeth, "makes me cook all the time. I haven't been pampered all my life like some people like to believe. Which parts of the chicken do you like; dark meat or white meat?"

"Um…the breast is what I eat." Draco answered.

"Ginny?"

"Thigh, please."

Harry served everyone their chicken and instructed them to serve themselves what ever vegetables they wanted. They had Ice Tea and water with their dinner. Once the main meal was over Ginny cut the pie and placed it on the plates and Harry brought out the Ice cream and put some one his pie, then went to add it to the others.

"What are you doing with that?" Ginny asked.

"It's called pie alamode and it's good. It's just Ice cream and pie." Harry answered.

"Ok, I'll try just a little ok"

"Ok Ginny, what about you Draco?"

"Right now I'll try anything, every thing was great." Draco said.

To her surprise Ginny enjoyed the Ice cream on her pie and by the look on Draco's face he was enjoying it too. All three cleaned off the table and did the dishes so they could watch at least two movies before they went to bed. Harry let Ginny and Draco pick the movies for the night; Ginny picked a comedy (Scary Movie) and Draco picked a Horror movie (An interview with a Vampire). By eleven o'clock Ginny was asleep on Harry's lap and Draco had fallen asleep in the chair he occupied. Harry rewound the movies and put them away and made sure everything was cleaned up. He decided to step out side and see if he could talk to Tonks about going with them tomorrow to Diagon Alley and London. When he stepped out the door he called out to her.

"Tonks." He called. No answer.

"I know you are my guard tonight; Remus told me you were here." He tried again.

"**Tonks!**" He shouted.****

**"**Ok you asked for it, Nymphadora Tonks! Come out now, I need to talk to you!" He tried one last time.

"What do you think you're doing Harry? I am supposed to be watching you out of sight. What is so important that you have blown my cover?" Tonks asked.

"Sorry, but it is important. Tomorrow we want to go to Diagon Alley to get some money and get it changed into muggle money so we can shop in London. I have to do some food shopping and Draco needs clothes, and I want to get a few clothes too. We wanted to know if you would go with us so there would be no problems."

"Does anyone know about this?" Tonks asked

"Yes, I talked to Remus and he said you were off tomorrow, so can you come with us so we can take care of the shopping?" Harry asked.

"OK, but I will have to talk to Remus to make sure he said it was fine. If he gives the ok then I don't see a problem with it. By the way, why are you up so late?"

"After dinner we watched some movies. Draco and Ginny fell asleep so I came to talk to you about this."

"Ok, get inside and go to bed. How early do you want to leave tomorrow?" Tonks asked.

"Oh, about ten-thirty. I'll even buy you lunch." Harry said.

"Sounds good, you do need to have a little fun. If Remus says no then I will floo you to let you know."

"Ok"

Tonks went back to her hiding place and Harry went inside. He covered Ginny up with a blanket and made Draco wake up and follow him up stairs. They both got ready for bed. Draco was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. Harry took his time getting into bed, he was afraid of nightmares and Ginny was asleep down stairs. Well, he had dealt with them before she came and he could do it again. As he stared at the ceiling trying to relax and clear his mind he thought of all the things that had happened over the past few weeks. Draco Malfoy was staying in his house (was the world coming to an end?). Ginny Weasley was staying with him and she was now his girlfriend (oh god what will her brothers do to me?). And tomorrow he was going to buy himself some new clothes that actually fit him and no longer have to wear Dudley's hand me downs. Because of Wormtail his so-called home had been attacked, but the good part was Wormtail was gone, kissed and not able to hurt anyone again (his parents and Sirius would be glad of this). His eyes started getting heavy and he let sleep over take him. It would be the first peaceful night's sleep he had had all summer.

**I do hope that all of the readers of Over the Summer have enjoyed this first chapter by me (Frogyy1) and know that I will do my best to keep you interested until the end. As we go the chapters might get longer because I have a bad habit of making my chapters real long. Until next chapter, thank you all for reading this story for SimplyComplex and my prayers and I hope your prayers are with her.**


	14. Shopping and Tonks and Remus flirt

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapters 1 – 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This not will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 14 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been started and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her.**

**Chapter 14**

Dedalus Diggle relieved Tonks of her watch at one-thirty in the morning; she went straight to Grimmauld Place. Remus was sitting at the table alone reading over some parchment when she walked into the kitchen. There was tea already made and sitting on the stove. She made herself a cup of tea and sat at the table across from Remus.

"Would you care for something to eat Tonks?"

"That would be nice Remus and Harry talked to me tonight before he went to bed." She said this as Remus levitated a plate to her; he had been saving it for her.

"Yes he flooed me this afternoon, something about having to go shopping for food."

"Yes and for them to shop for clothes. Harry said that he and Draco needed clothes. Draco only has the clothes on his back so I can see him needing more."

"Yes and Harry is always wearing those dreadful clothes of his cousins. I told him that if you went with them that it would be ok. Just make sure that when you go to Diagon Alley that they take their cloaks. Have them wear the hood up at all times. Keep them safe Nymphadora."

"Remus if you don't stop calling me that I am going to hex you so bad they won't know who you are."

"But I love to see the fire in your eyes when I use that name."

"Are you flirting with me Mr. Lupin?"

"Maybe, care to find out"

"Remus John Lupin, you are… I can't think of what you are but mind your manners."

"What would you do with out me Tonks? And you know you like when I call you Nymphadora."

"NO I DO NOT!"

"Why are you in such a bad mood, you have never threatened me this quick before?"

"I don't know"

"Yes you do, so spill"

"Remus"

"Yes, Nymphadora"

**_"Remus" _**she said through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"Ok, it's just…sometimes…I think…you know that you are…serious and I'm not sure how to take it."

"OK you lost me, am I serious about what?"

"Remus you know what I'm talking about."

"No, please enlighten me"

"Remus" she said in a whisper that if he wasn't a werewolf he would not have heard. He stood up and walked to the side of the table she was sitting at. Taking the seat beside her, he took her hand in his and spoke to her in a gentle voice.

"Tonks, talk to me, tell me what I did to make you so upset. We always play around like this when one of us comes off patrol, ever since Sirius…you know. I didn't mean to offend you in any way."

"You didn't offend me Remus; it's just sometimes I think you do it to make me feel better about Sirius and then at times I think you really are flirting with me."

"Tonks, I do try to make you feel better, I try all the time, but deep down I wish it could be more. I know you don't feel like that about me but I hate to see you so sad."

"How do you know how I feel?"

"Tonks"

"Have you ever asked me how I feel?

"No"

No, you haven't; so how can you sit here and say that. Remus that is why I got so upset; I like you."

"I like you too"

"What I mean to say is I like you flirting with me and want to flirt back but wasn't sure if you meant the flirting."

"We can work on this but now I think you should go to bed since you are taking the kids shopping tomorrow."

"It would be nice if you come with us tomorrow, so there will be two of us with the three of them. Strength in numbers."

"I am not sure Harry would want to see me right now, too much of a reminder that Sirius is gone."

"I promise you he won't mind."

"Ok, I'll go to be the extra guard. I'll send Moody an owl since he was going to go with you guys."

"Ok, you do that. I am going to just go sleep up in the room the girls use when they are here. See you in the morning."

"Ok, see you in the morning."

With that, Remus pulled out some parchment and wrote a quick note to Mad-Eye Moody; telling him to stay home and that he would be the added guard for the kids to do their shopping. After sending the owl to Moody, he sat at the table thinking about what had happened when Tonks had gotten there. He really did fancy her; he hadn't fancied anyone since his Hogwarts days. He could still remember his girlfriend during school. Carol Higgins was a muggle born witch. Her father was from America and her mother was from England. They had dated for almost a year, until someone told her what happened to him during the full moon. She had broken up with him and started treating him like he was the dirt on the bottom of her shoes and she had broken his heart. He decided then that he would never date again and had live a lonely life. Tonks knew what he was, knew that he was older and none of these things bothered her and here he doubted that there could be a relationship between them but time would tell. He headed to bed; tomorrow would be a long day.

Remus awoke at eight the next morning. He showered, dressed, and headed down to the kitchen to get a bite to eat and finish going over the parchments he was reading the night before. Tonks was already in the kitchen when he arrived; she had started the tea and to his surprise was cooking.

"Morning Tonks" Remus said.

"Good morning to you too, you look like you slept well last night." Tonks said cheerfully.

"I did for once. You're up early"

"Yep"

"So what time are we supposed to take the kids to Diagon Alley?" Remus asked.

"Harry said they wanted to leave about ten-thirty, so I figured we could be to the Dursley's by ten. Make sure we have plenty of time to catch the night bus and be there before ten-thirty."

"Sounds good, Dumbledore sent word last night; he wants to have a meeting tonight at eight so we need to make sure we get back here early enough."

"I'm sure Draco won't have any problems picking out clothes but Harry will, so I figure with my help and Ginny's we should only be shopping for clothes for about two hours, then we can take them to a market in Surrey for the food shopping. We'll get lunch right after they get their clothes and be back to the Dursley's by three at the latest."

"So we leave here in an hour. Good, that gives me time to read over the rest of these papers."

"Ok, well here is a bit of breakfast; sorry I'm not much at cooking so there is only eggs and bacon."

"Thanks."

They sat quietly and ate their breakfast; Tonks excused herself after cleaning up the kitchen and went up stairs to get ready for the day. When she came back down at nine-thirty Remus was still sitting at the table reading the parchments; it looked like he was still reading the one that he had been reading when she left. He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile and folded up the parchments, he vanished them with a quick wave of his wand and stood.

"Is it time to leave already?"

"Just about; it's only nine-thirty."

"Let's just go ahead and head over there; get this day started."

"Are you ok Remus?"

"Yeah"

"No your not, what was that you were reading?"

"Sirius's Will"

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"I miss him too"

"We all do Tonks; if I know Harry, he is blaming his death on himself."

"Yep, ok let's stop this kind of talk so Harry doesn't see how sad we are or he will have a piss poor day."

"Your Right, ok hot stuff lets show those kids how to have some fun, we'll wear them out."

"Hot stuff, well you think you can handle two hours of shopping, I might just buy myself something that will make you think differently." Tonks said this as she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

'Yes, the flirting has started and I am going to make him squirm tonight at this meeting. Yes, buy something real sexy.' She thought as they headed out the door. They had to walk a block away to apparate into Mr. Figgs back yard; seeing it was the closes point to the Dursley house and walk another two blocks to get to #4.

July twenty-fourth was just another day to the residents of Privet drive; most of the residents had left for their jobs already. They noticed a few people out watering their lawns; some were tending to their gardens. This muggle neighborhood was quiet; the people who were outside their homes just thought they were watching two strangers walking down the side walk for a morning stroll; not two wizards coming to collect three wizard children to take them out for a day of shopping.

**(Earlier inside #4)**

Harry woke at six in the morning; he left the other two asleep; while he got his shower and dressed for the day. Twenty minutes later he walked back into his room and woke Draco; telling him to dress like a muggle. Harry sat and watched Ginny as she slept; she looked like a child lying there but he knew that thought wasn't true. He stood and cleaned up his room a little while waiting on Draco to get out of the shower, when he came back in he woke Ginny so she could shower and get ready for the day.

Once Ginny was coherent enough to stand, she gathered her clothes and headed to the loo. Draco followed Harry down to the kitchen where Harry started breakfast, looking at the clock on the wall; it was now eight, Tonks and Moody would be there between ten and ten-thirty. At eight-thirty Ginny came down the stairs and was ready to eat breakfast. She seemed more awake. She gave each boy a smile and took her seat at the table. They ate breakfast and talked about what they all wanted and needed to do while they were out shopping. After they cleaned the kitchen Harry got a pen and paper and started to make a list of things they would need from the market; they would need to buy enough food to replace the Dursley's food and then enough food for them until Draco went to Hogwarts. He made a detailed list (Hermione's influence) Breakfast foods, lunch food, dinner food, and snacks.

At ten o'clock, they were sitting in the living room watching TV when they heard a knock at the front door. Harry placed his finger to his lips, letting them know to keep quiet. Yes, they were expecting Tonks and Moody but with the events of the past week or so, he wanted to be careful. Harry peaked out the side window and saw Tonks standing there looking around (Constance vigilance kept screaming in his head). He had to make sure that it was Tonks out there.

"Who's there?" he asked

"It's me Tonks," she said

"And how do I know it's you"

"Harry it's me, Remus is with me."

"Wrong answer"

"Harry, Remus decided to come with me today; we sent an owl to Moody last night about it."

"Still doesn't prove that it's you."

"Damn Moody, we talked last night about taking you shopping and you pissed me off by calling me Nymphadora."

"Good answer" he said as he opened the door.

Remus gave him a small smile and gave him a quick hug; Tonks just pushed by them and hugged Ginny and said hello to Draco. Harry grabbed his and Ginny's backpacks, his invisibility cloak, and they all headed down the street. Once they got to Magnolia Crescent, Remus raised his wand hand to summon the night bus. Soon there was the loud bang and the night bus appeared. Remus took care of the fare for the group, gave Stan their destination, and headed to the empty seat at the back of the bus. Soon they were stopping in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Once off the bus Remus motioned them to follow him towards the alley. He had them put on their cloaks and pull up their hoods. Tonks lead the way to the back door and to the wall where they would enter Diagon Alley. Remus followed, making sure that no one followed them. Once Tonks tapped her wand on the bricks, the wall started opening up and became the entrance to Diagon Alley. She headed straight to Gringotts Bank. Remus went and talk to one of the goblins that he knew would not let it be known who he had with him or what vaults they had visited. After getting, everything arranged he motioned for Harry and Draco to follow them.

They took the cart down to the cravens below the bank where the vaults were. They stopped at Draco's vault first. He got out, produced his key, the goblin opened the door and he went into his vault, and filled his moneybag and every pocket in his pants and cloak as full as he could with the golden Galleons. He knew that soon his father would make sure he would not have any money in there; this scared him but thought that maybe his mother might help him behind his fathers back. He climbed back into the cart and they headed to Harry's vault; he only took out what he thought he might need for the shopping they were going to do. He knew that either he would come back with Mrs. Weasley or that she would get his things for him as she did last year. Once he filled his moneybag, he got back into the cart for the ride back up to the main entrance of the bank.

Remus led them to a private office to exchange some of their money into muggle pounds; once they had that done they meet back with Tonks and Ginny and then headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. Once outside, Tonks informed them that the best place to do the clothes shopping was only a few blocks away and that it would be best if they just walked. Once they had their plan set, Remus shrunk their cloaks, placed them in a backpack and they started walking the few blocks to the department store. Everyone but Draco enjoyed the walk to the department store; it would take him some time to get over the upbringing his father had instilled in him.

After about an hour of looking at different kinds of shoes, pants, shirts, undershirts, socks and underwear, Remus understood why Tonks had said it would take at least two hours to shop. Remus decided right then he hated shopping, more so he hated shopping with women. Harry agreed with Remus on this even though he didn't know they were thinking the same thing. Draco on the other hand was enjoying making the sale clerk run around and bring different things for him to look at. In the end, after being reminded that he needed to conserve his amount of money he spent, Draco went with nice but cheaper clothes then he had intended to buy. He bought fourteen shirts (dress button downs, casual shirts, and a few tee shirts to go with his jeans), fourteen pairs of pants (dress slacks, jeans, and some cords), and two pairs of shoes, some socks, undershirts, and some underwear.

Harry had never been shopping for clothes for himself before so he let Ginny and Tonks help him pick out his clothes. He kept his shopping simple by buying seven pairs of pants (one pair dress slacks and the rest jeans and cords), seven shirts to go with his pants, one pair of trainers, some socks, undershirts and some new underwear. Draco had spent two-hundred and seventy pounds on clothes; Harry had only spent one-hundred and twenty-five and was glad that his bill had not been as big as Draco's.

While the boy's and Remus were taking care of paying the bills for the clothes, Tonks and Ginny disappeared out of their site. Harry had given Ginny some money to buy herself something nice for helping him pick out clothes. She tried to fight with him about taking his money but he won in the end. Tonks helped Ginny pick out a nice summer dress that showed off her curves (as Tonks put it) and that it would drive any boy crazy that looked at her. Ginny being the Weasley that she was, blushed that trademark Weasley red but agreed that the dress would turn someone's head when he saw her in it. Ginny helped Tonks in the same way but added that professor Lupin would have to be fighting off the other wizards when she wore her new dress. The two returned to where they had left the "Men" and told them they were through and that it was time to catch the night bus and head back to Surrey, do the food shopping, and have lunch.

Remus held out his wand hand and summoned the night bus again. This time Harry made Remus let him pay the fare for them to ride back to Surrey. While they were on the bus, Remus and Tonks shrunk the bags down so they could fit into the backpack. Harry questioned Ginny about what took her and Tonks so long with their shopping (Tonks had said they were just going to pick out one dress) but Ginny just smiled and told him he would have to wait and see; this put a smile on his face and left it alone after that.

They reached Surrey and headed to a café that Harry and Ginny had eaten in when she had first arrived at the Dursley's house. Harry asked for a table in the back so they could have some privacy. They spent an hour in the café eating, sipping tea, and talking. In the end, it was Remus and Tonks that had felt tired and exhausted. After lunch was over and they had left the café Tonks and Remus walked behind the teens since Harry knew where the market was. Ginny was used to shopping with her mother in a market for wizards, and the muggle market was a lot different. Draco on the other had been amazed at everything he saw. They all could tell the only thing he had ever shopped for was his clothes. They all followed and watched as Harry picked out the food they would buy for the week that there was left until the Dursley's would returned home; he was not looking forward to that day at all. With all the shopping completed, he headed to the check out counter to pay for the food in the cart. Once outside they found a deserted alley so that Tonks and Remus could shrink everything down for the walk back to Privet drive.

** Well here, we are at the end of another chapter; I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. The next coming chapter will only cover a bit of the week until Harry's birthday; so much to cover before the Dursley's return home; until next chapter, Happy reading. I send the chapters to SimplyComplex's sister after I am through and she helps in being the beta reader for this story. In her e-mail with the returned chapter, she let me know that SC is doing fine and is now away at a boarding school for the blind; in time I hope that she will be able to start writing again. On to the responses to the reviews, I have received. Happy reading**

**Xylem: I know what you mean I hate it when someone starts a story and then just leaves it unfinished…That is one reason why I asked to adopt the story and the other is that there were many who wanted to but felt they could not at the time. True I do have a story of my own that I am working on and now have this one to write but I am enjoying writing them both. After I finish Over the Summer and Can Love fine me Now, my own, I am planning to take what I have learned about writing and write my own story. It has been hidden in the back of my closet and my mind for 20 years and when I am through, I hope that I have the luck that J K had herself and get it published. I bow to you for thinking I am a great writer and hope that I am good enough to get my work published when I am done. Thank you so much for the review and the great words.  
  
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**Xylem: Thank you so much and it is the hardest thing so far that I have had to do and that is write a good Draco. You can say butt, arse like some do; but I will try and keep doing the best I can at writing a good Draco. Thank you again for the two reviews…..**

**BlackRaven13: Hello there Raven; I hope that your sister is doing well and that I am doing justice to her story. I see that you have already deleted the chapter off your name and I am honored that you both have let me do this for her. I think I did go and change the rating but I will double check that. Thank you for the best wishes and I do hope that you will keep letting me know how I am doing with the story and making sure that I am including every thing she wanted in there.  
  
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**ZzSheilahzZ****: Thank you Zz and I do hope that you will enjoy all the other chapter that will be added to this story.**

**blackbelt1982: Thank you so much Blackbelt for the kind words. I am a true believer that in the end if J K lets Harry live that she should and just might have them end up together. They are a perfect fit for each other. I hope that you will check out my H and G fic Called Can love Find me Now and let me know what you think; until next time….Froggyy1**

**Cycla: Thank you Cycla and I am glad you liked the first of many chapters to come. I am not sure how far I will take Over the Summer but be assured that I will do my best to keep it in good standings in the honor of SimplyComplex. Thanks so much for the kind words of encouragement. **

**Alice****: Thank you Alice and I do hope that you will continue reading the rest of the story as it is up dated.**

**Mysticruby: Hello there Mysticruby and thank you for the two reviews.**** My hear told me it was the right thing to do and I do love how she started this story and I couldn't let it slip off to the way side and not be finished. I have been to ****Maine**** a few times in my life; my father was in the army and we traveled a lot; it is nice country up there. Thank you for the kind words and the review and the next chapter might be out soon; depends on how fast I can finish chapter 41 for my story I have. Froggyy1**

**seekerchic211: Hello there seekerchic and thanks so much for checking out the story; by what I am told she is doing well and is busy getting her life in order and learning brail and maybe once she has that mastered she will begin to write again. We can only hope since she is a wonderful writer. Thank you for the kind words and I do hope that you will enjoy the other chapter that I add to her story. Until next time…..Froggyy1**


	15. A little talk with Harry and Tonks first...

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapters 1 – 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 15 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been started and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her. As you can see I received the chapter back from ****BlackRaven137 (SimplyComplex's twin sister) and she has sent word that SimplyComplex is doing well and has made a lot of new friends at her new school. I thought you all would love to hear news about how she is doing. **

**Chapter 15**

At two-forty, the five reentered the Dursley house, sitting the backpacks on the table. Ginny and Harry emptied the food and placed it on the table for Tonks to return it to normal size. Draco was doing the same with the other backpack that contained the clothes they had bought in London. Everyone helped put away the food while Tonks examined the muggle refrigerator. Harry offered a dinner invitation to Tonks and Remus, but to his dismay they had to turn it down, with the explanation about there was a meeting at eight that night. Tonks, knowing that Harry needed some time alone with Remus before they left suggested that Draco and Ginny help her take the bags of clothes up to Harry's room.

After finishing up in the kitchen, Remus and Harry went into the lounge and took seats, waiting for the others to come back down. Sitting there in complete silence, they would shoot glances at each other every now and then. Remus finally broke the silence, asking Harry if he needed any more potions.

"I think I have enough right now but to make sure you might want to ask Ginny, she seems to keep up with what you have brought." Harry answered

"Good, Good"

"Are you ok, you seem like you have something on your mind?" Harry asked. Remus sighed softly.

"Yes, I'm fine Harry. I'm just a little worried about you is all, how are you really holding up? That is, besides the dreams?"

"It's hard, with Draco here but I understand why he has to stay. We've been enemies for so long, it's just so weird."

"I bet." Remus said.

"Yeah and Ron, he is pissed that he is here and that Ron can't be but I think he will get over it. I mean it's not like Draco will be my best friend or anything. I think Ron is afraid of that though." Harry said, voicing his worries for the first time.

"I'm sure when you are able to see him and you get to explain what happened then he will be ok."

"With Ron, I can only hope he will understand." Harry said.

"He will don't worry too much." Remus assured him.

"At the end of the week, I'll need to go food shopping again, will we need a guard for that, or can we do that on our own since it's just down the street." Harry asked.

"Yes you will need a guard, just to be on the safe side ok? What time do you want to do the shopping?" Remus asked.

"What ever time, just as long as we can get it done before my Aunt and Uncle get back." Harry said

"They are due back on the second of August right?"

"Yes"

"Do you know what time they are coming back?" Remus asked.

"No, they just said they would be back on the second of August."

"I know that Molly was saying that she and Arthur would be here around noon on the second as to explain Ginny's stay to them when they get here. Moody and Tonks are supposed to meet them here and I plan on being here too." Remus said.

"Bringing in the guard to protect little old me, I feel like a two year old being watched over." Harry joked.

"Now Harry, you know it's not like that, we know how your Uncle is and that your Aunt is just as bad. We just want to make sure they know not to take it out on you in any way." Remus said.

"I know, I just wish everything could be normal, that they would treat me like a person so all this didn't have to be done." Harry sighed.

"We all do Harry, but look on the bright side, in a year you can choose not to come back here. When you turn seventeen you will be an adult wizard and we can only hope that Voldemort is gone and you will be safe."

"I can only hope, and yes, that is a good thing about turning seventeen. I'll finally be able to rule my own life and not be told what I have to do anymore." Harry said.

"No one is trying to tell you what to do, we just want to make sure you are safe, for your mum and dad…for Sirius too." Remus told him.

"I know but it feels like it most of the time. I miss him a lot." Harry admitted.

"I do too Harry, we all miss him. I just wished that all of this never happened and you could have your whole family back."

"Me too, but it's harder with Sirius gone. I got to know him and that just makes it hurt more." Harry said.

"I am truly sorry you never got to know James and Lily; you may not believe it but they were two of the most loving people, no matter what you saw in that pensive." Remus assured him.

"Thanks" Harry said.

"Do you think we have been set up Harry?" Remus asked after a moments pause.

"In what way" Harry asked, confused.

"Well they went to put the bags up but haven't come back down yet, I do believe one or both of the young women think we needed to talk." Remus said.

"Probably, knowing Tonks and Ginny, yeah that would be a bet they would win." Harry said.

"Women" Remus mumbled

"You can say that again Remus, but I kinda like having Ginny around."

"Is that so, do tell?" Remus said a smirk on his face.

"What?" Harry asked.

"So you fancy the youngest Weasley, have you told Ron yet?" Remus said.

"Hey I never said I fancied her and no Ron doesn't know." Harry said

"Potter's love their red heads." Remus said, smiling.

"Remus are you ready to go, its five now and we have to get back to headquarters for the meeting." Tonks said as she came down the stairs, a smile on her face and a small bag in her hand.

"Sorry Harry we have to go, I will check with you later about the potions. Ginny can you check the supply and let me know when I floo call later. We need to make sure you have enough, just incase ok." Remus asked.

"Sure professor Lupin, I'll check them and let you know." Ginny said.

"Good and Ginny, I'm not your professor anymore you can call me Remus just like Harry does."

"I'll try sir." Ginny said.

"Good, now you all have fun and stay out of trouble. If there is any trouble at all floo me right away ok."

"We will sir...I mean Remus and thank you for taking us shopping Tonks, I know that he (pointing her thumb at Remus) only came because you talked him into it."

"Yeah well, you know how these men can be, you have to force them to go shopping, but I guess Mr. Malfoy is an exception to that rule." Tonks joked.

"Ok Tonks, lets get going; we men know that it takes women for ever to get ready for even a simple dinner. Harry I will floo you after the meeting, Ginny, Draco make sure you all keep safe ok."

"We will and Tonks knock'em dead tonight at that meeting." Ginny said.

"Oh, I will Ginny, I will do just that. Come on old man or we are going to be late." Tonks said, smiling.

"Fine, bye Harry; take good care of your self and we will talk again soon." Remus whispered this in Harry's ear as he hugged him good-by.

Harry walked them to the door; he was glad that he and Remus had talked for a bit. He knew that there was an unspoken message from Remus to him. He knew that if he ever needed to talk to him about anything Remus would be there for him. He stood at the door and watched as they walked down the street, hoping that he would not be the next loved one to be taken away from him. As a shiver ran down his spine, he turned and shut the door and headed back into the lounge where Ginny and Draco were sitting.

Harry had bought special food for tonight's dinner; everyone would be included in making dinner tonight. He had picked out the simplest thing, this way there was no way Draco could mess it up since he had no experience at cooking. In one of his Aunt Petunia's cookbooks he had found the recipe on how to make Taco's, he though they looked good and since his aunt had never made them before it would be a treat for everyone. When he entered the lounge, he motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen; it was time to start dinner so they could be in bed early tonight. Harry took out every thing they would need for the dinner that night. They would need lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco shells, salsa, ground beef, and the seasoning. He gave them each a task to do and started cooking the meat, in no time at all they had dinner ready and were sitting down to eat. After dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen and went into the lounge to watch a movie before bed.

Half way through the movie Ginny fell asleep, so Harry made her wake up and head up to bed. Not wanting to be rude Harry stayed and watched the rest of the movie with Draco, even though he would rather be up in his room in the company of one Ginny Weasley. It did not matter that she was asleep, just being with her made him feel like he was not alone. It was different then when he was with Hermione and Ron, they were his friends, and that would never change; as far as he was concerned. Being around them was a different feeling then what he felt with Ginny, it was even different then what he had felt for Cho Chang last year. It felt comfortable and natural and he just hoped that Ron would not want to beat him to bloody pulp.

Harry had been lots in his own thoughts and had missed that the movie had ended. Draco was asleep in his chair. Harry took care to rewind the movie and put it away. After making sure that everything was in its place and things were clean, he went back into the lounge to wake Draco so they could head up to bed. Draco wasn't in the chair he had been in; Harry figured he had woken up and headed up stairs. Climbing the stairs, he could hear the shower running in the loo and knew that he was in there. Once inside his room he gathered his clothes and snuck into his cousin's room to get ready for bed. He figured that Draco should be through with his shower and would be heading back to Harry's room. He was still a bit uncomfortable about him being in his family's house but it couldn't be helped and he hoped that Ron would understand how and why it all happened.

Harry had told Ginny he loved her the night of the attack and he had meant it with all his heart. It had made him feel like he was soaring through the air when she had told him that she loved him too. He walked into his room to find only Ginny asleep in the bed and to his surprise she was spread out all over the bed and couldn't help but smile. He made himself a pallet on the floor with some extra blankets and grabbed his pillow off his bed. As he lay down on the floor Draco came in. He gave a short nod and climbed into bed. Harry lay there thinking about everything that had happened since the beginning of summer, some things bad and some good, with these thoughts going through his mind he fell asleep.

**(Headquarters of the Order of the ****Phoenix**

Remus and Tonks arrived at headquarters at five-thirty, Remus headed to the kitchen and Tonks headed up stairs. Ginny and Tonks had talked while they were shopping for their outfits. Tonks tried to give a bit of advice about boys and Ginny encouraged Tonks to get the sexiest outfit she could to impress Remus. Tonks had blushed when Ginny told her that it was obvious that she like him and Tonks teased Ginny about Harry. Tonks placed her clothes on the bed and got her things together for a long bath, she had to think about how she was going to do this flirting thing with out the rest of the Order noticing.

As Tonks lay in the bath soaking, she though about the outfit she had bought. It was not what she would normally buy but Ginny had convinced her to buy it. She had to smile at that thought; she had looked rather nice when she had tried it on and it went with her hair pink. Her top was a crop top, which came just below her breasts and was a light pastel pink; the words were intertwined vines and roses that spelled out the words Foxy Lady; the jeans she had picked out were a very tight pair of hip huggers. The legs of the jeans flared slightly, and had intertwined vines and roses in the shape of a heart embroidered on them.

By the time Tonks finished her bath and got dressed it was six-forty, she had to smile at the though of how Remus would react when she went back down into the kitchen. While she had been in the bath, she had decided to get things set up for Molly Weasley. Molly Weasley always started cooking and getting things ready before the Order meetings but tonight all she would have to do was cook. As she walked down the stairs the though "Let the games begin" roared out in her mind. As she walked into the kitchen, she noticed that Remus still had the parchments in his hands and was sitting very still.

"Is every thing ok Remus?"

"Yeah"

"If you're sure," she said as she started moving around the kitchen.

He glanced up at her and then looked back down at the parchments in his hand. It didn't take him but mere seconds before he looked back up at the woman that was moving around the kitchen; pulling plates, silverware, cups and pots out of their cupboards. As she moved around the kitchen, he watched her. The outfit she had on was driving him nuts and if she wore that at the meeting tonight, he would not be able to pay much attention and by the look, he noticed on her face that was her plan. All he could think of was that he was in trouble and that if Sirius were there he would be teasing him about it. God he missed that mutt.

It wasn't long before Molly Weasley enter headquarters; making her way straight to the kitchen to start making food for the meeting that night. She was shocked to see everything already laid out and ready for her to begin dinner. She glanced over at Tonks who was just finishing up with the plates and silverware. Molly looked over at Remus and raised her eyebrows at him but he just shrugged his shoulders and went back to looking over the parchment that was in his hands. Tonks said hello to Molly and excused herself with the excuse that she had to get ready for the meeting but as she passed Remus, she winked and rubbed the palm of her hand on his back and exited the kitchen.

"Remus, why did Tonks set every thing out tonight?"

"I really don't know Molly, you will have to ask her," he said without looking up at her. He knew if he did, she would see the look in his eyes.

"What shocks me the most, well she did all this and not one thing got broken." Molly said

"That is true Molly, she just walked in here and started taking things out and didn't break a thing."

"That is a miracle in its self, now Remus you need to take your paperwork into the parlor so I can get this food started or there won't be any dinner tonight." Molly ordered.

"Molly I would never dream of getting in you way of cooking us all such a fine meal. If it weren't for you these past few months I would have starved to death." Remus said.

"Now Remus, you know you would never go hungry and to say such a thing, well I never." Molly said, hands on her hips.

"Molly, I would not ever miss a meal that you cook, your meals are better then the meals we had at Hogwarts and that is saying something." Remus complimented.

"Thank you for the complement, now off you go so I can get this done." Molly said, shooing him out of the kitchen

"Alright Molly, I'm going," he said to her as he stood and walked over to her. Remus shocked Molly Weasley by placing a small kiss on her cheek and told her,

"Thank you Molly, I don't think I could have survived these past few months with out you or your family. Harry and I are lucky to have friends and family like you and Arthur." and with that said he walked out the kitchen door and headed up the stairs to his room

Thank you all so much for being patient and waiting for me to finish this chapter. With finishing a chapter for my other story and getting ready for my first grandchild to arrive, we have been busy around my house with the baby shower and getting the room ready for the baby. Once again, I want to thank everyone who is reading this story and I hope that all of you will Keep SimplyComplex in your prayers. Her twin sister is beta reading all chapters and putting the final approval on all chapters. Thank you so much Raven for helping me get these chapters out. Until next chapter, thanks everyone. Froggyy1


	16. Chapter 16

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapters 1 – 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

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**Just a quick note to all the readers, I have just finished this chapter and it is 10:01 p.m. in Jacksonville Florida. I was going to send this off to Raven to read over and give her approval, but I have decided to poet it first and then send it to her. Tomorrow morning is Wednesday the 27th and at 6:00a.m. I will be taking my daughter to the hospital to have her baby. I hope that they will be able to turn the baby and have a natural birth. I will be staying at the hospital as long as they will let me. So if they send me home and Raven has returned this chapter to me and know that I will repost this chapter with my responses to your reviews on Sunday. Until next chapter, happy reading ****Chapter 16 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her. I would also like to thank BlackRaven137 for beta reading all the chapters I do for this story. **

**Chapter16**

**(Headquarters of the Order of the ****Phoenix**

As Remus climbed the stairs, his thoughts were taken back to when Tonks had entered the kitchen. He remembered their little conversation before they had left headquarters, he had called her hot stuff and she had warned him that she would make him think differently; well she has succeeded in that. When he had first looked up and seen that top (not much of a top he thought), he wanted to do nothing more then take her in his arms and kiss her. He had reached the first landing and was just starting up the second set of stairs and he wondered why Tonks had left the kitchen with that excuse of having to get ready for the meeting. His heart was hoping that she would wear that outfit to the meeting but his mind wanted her to change; that way he would be able to keep his mind on the meeting and not on her and what she looked like with out the outfit on. Remus was brought out of his train of thought by a small hand touching his shoulder. There stood Tonks, in that outfit, looking like and angle and more then any thing he anted to hold her in his arms.

She smiled that sexy smile he had grown to love and his heart skipped a beat. Tonks took his hand in hers and led the way up the stairs to his room; Remus knew that she was just flirting with him and nothing was going to happen but he enjoyed the contact she had created between them. Once they arrived at his room, she waited for him to open the door and then followed him inside. Tonks took the chair at his desk and waited for him to gather his wits.

"Remus, are you alright?" she asked with that sultry smile she like to use with him.

"Yeah, you just surprised me, that's all. So did Ginny help you pick that out?" he asked, as he looked her up and down, adding a seductive smile of his own.

"Yes she did, do you like what you see; dumb question right," she said with a slight laugh in her voice.

Clearing his throat, all he could get out was "Yes" and then turned away from her.

Tonks got out of the chair and walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "What's the matter Remus; have I offended you?"

"No, I…um…you are…damn…I'm acting like a fourteen year old boy who has his first crush on a girl. You look beautiful Nymphadora."

"Thanks Remus, you aren't half bad yourself you know."

"Thanks, hey you aren't yelling, or hexing me; so am I to assume that when we flirt I can call you Nymphadora?"

"Sometimes"

"Ok"

"Remus, if you don't mind me asking why are you going over his Will?"

"Dumbledore asked me to take a look at it; we will be sharing the contents with Harry in a few days. Believe it or not he wants my opinion on how to tell Harry about the Will."

"Don't worry too much; I'm sure hearing it from you will make it easier for him."

"I hope you are right, by the way why did you leave when Molly got here?"

"I told you, I needed to get ready for the meeting."

"But, you're still wearing the same thing, not that I am complaining mind you."

"Do you want me to wear it to the meeting?"

"I'm doomed either way, you wear that to the meeting and I won't know what was said and if I tell you no then you may hex me; I'm doomed either way."

"How about I promise to wear a robe over it, that way you won't be distracted?"

"You do that and I will pretend you never had that on; during the meeting that is."

"Suit yourself; just know Mr. Lupin that the game has begun and I intend to have the prize."

Moving an inch closer to her, he leaned into her ear and whispered, "And what prize might that be Miss. Nymphadora Tonks" and brushed his lips against her cheek as he pulled away from her.

Tonks stood there with a blushing face; it would match the Weasley Blush any day. He watched her with a satisfied smile on his face; now they were somewhat even. She did not say a word, walked up to him, placed a small kiss on his cheek, and walked out the door. He had to smile; he had left her speechless and was looking forward to their next game of flirting.

**(Sunday morning at # 4)**

Slowly the sun rose into the sky and shinned into the smallest room on Privet dive and right into the eyes of Harry Potter. He had gotten used to being on the inside of the bed, wedged between the wall and one Ginny Weasley. He turned away from the blinding light and let his eyes scan her sleeping form; a smile crept onto his lips. Her hair lay in many different directions and almost made it look like there was a red halo surrounding her head. He couldn't help but wonder why it had taken him so long to notice how beautiful she was but he planned to make up for his stupidity. She looked so peaceful and young while she slept; did he dare to kiss those soft lips while she slept or would she hex him if he did. Something deep inside him told him to ignore what might happen; the voice told him to just kiss the sleeping beauty before him. He didn't argue with the voice and placed a small kiss on her lips; he was rewarded with a smile and her arm wrapping around his side. Her eyes opened slowly and the smile became bigger; his heart skipped a beat but he knew they needed to get out of bed soon.

"Good morning Harry, did…you…sleep…well?" she asked while yawning.

"Yes, no dreams last night; first time in a while since that happened."

"Good, now if you could please let me out, I…um…need…to…you…know," she said with raised eyebrows.

Harry got the hint that she need to use the loo and moved out of her way. He watched as she sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, stretched and yawned again. He kept his eyes on her as she stood and walked out of the room; "God she looks beautiful in the morning," he thought to himself. So, he sat there and waited for her to get back; it just hit him that he had needed to use the loo too. While he waited he gathered his clothes; he would dress and then head down stairs to start breakfast while she got ready for the day. Ginny and Harry had gotten into the habit of not waking Draco if they could help it; this way they could have some alone time before he got out of bed. This only lasted for about an hour, once the smell of breakfast reached the upstairs bedroom, Draco would be down the stairs and at his seat.

Draco never said a word about them letting him sleep longer then they did, he knew it was hard with him there. He felt the same way, after so many years of being enemies and now they had to live in the same house, eat meals together, and even sleep in the same room together. They did not know that he watched their every move, not that he was going to tell anyone (who was there to tell, he was a traitor). In all of his sixteen years he had never even been inside a muggle house, go shopping in muggle London, or even ate at a muggle café. The way that his enemy lived boggled his mind; his father had boasted many times how Potter, had been raised spoiled and told the story how he was a great wizard for defeating the dark lord when he was only one, and now he knew better. He had heard the story that Harry had told Ginny; it had been one of the first nights he had been there; his family had made him live in the cupboard under the stairs. He had snuck down to look at this cupboard and had been shocked. To tell the truth, he was still being shocked; at how things were. Moreover, the things that Ginny and even that Tonks woman had said about how the muggles had treated him over the years. He tried to remember their conversation from yesterday, after they had gotten back from shopping.

"Ginny, do you know much about the Dursley's; I mean how they have treated Harry and all. I have heard stories but some of them are hard to believe."

"Over the years, well Ron and Hermione have said some things. I know the first time he came to the Burrow that mum about had a fit, he looked like they were starving him. Ron as much said that they were; even Fred and George agreed with him. That was the summer before my first year; they had to break him out of this room. His Uncle had put bars on the window and as you saw when we came in here; there are all kinds of locks and things on the door."

"I've heard how your mum talks about the "awful muggles" that take care of him and I knew that they are up tight and too clean. When we came here last summer to get him, I mean the house was just too clean and he acted like a scared puppy when he came out of his room."

"They used to make him live in the cupboard under the stairs, he didn't get this room until he received his first Hogwarts letter. Ron said, well Harry told him and Hermione that his Uncle wouldn't let him have his letter. By what he told them, well hundreds of letters came and his Uncle made them all leave here and by what Ron said Hagrid found them in a house in the middle of the water."

"Has he talked to you about how they treat him?"

"He just confirmed that they used to make him live under the stairs and that until Professor Moody and the others gave them that talk at the end of term; well let's just say they don't bother him much and let him eat."

"How do you think they will treat him once they get back, I mean you don't think they will lock him away again do you?"

"I really don't know Tonks but mum and dad plan on being here when they get home; to explain things and all."

"Don't worry too much about that Ginny, I think Remus, and I will come along too just for extra support."

"Just don't get in mums way, she has been itching to give those muggles a piece of her mind for years. I wouldn't be surprised that she hexed them just for being mean to him all these years."

"His birthday is coming up, have you planned anything for him or has your mum taken care of that," Tonks asked her with an evil smile on her face.

"Well, I sent an owl to mum yesterday and asked her advice, I want to give him a party because Ron said the muggles never gave him one; not even a present. I feel that he needs one now more then ever, you know to relieve his mind of his worries and Sirius," Tonks could see the sadness in her eyes, not only for Harry but that Sirius was gone as well.

"Well you can flow me or send an owl and let me and Remus know, we'll try and be here for the party. I just hope those two are talking, Merlin knows they need to."

"I know, I'm glad you decided to come up and help put these clothes away; give those two some time alone to talk about Sirius. You know Harry blames himself for Sirius dieing, I have told him that it's not his fault but he won't listen. How long would you say we have been up here any way?"

"Oh damn, its almost five and we have a meeting at eight, we have to leave no later then five if I'm going to have time to change into my new outfit and thanks for the help Ginny."

"Any time Tonks, I just hope that Harry will like what I am going to wear to his little party."

"That Miss. Weasley will not be a worry; if he doesn't notice how beautiful you look in that dress he is a very blind boy."

"Well Miss. Tonks, I can say the same about you and your outfit; if professor Lupin doesn't notice how beautiful you are he is one very blind boy," Ginny said with a giggle.

Draco came back to reality when the smell of bacon assaulted his nose, he cursed that he had let his mind wonder and was about to miss breakfast. As he dressed Draco though about what Ginny had said, "He's never had a birthday party" could it be true that "the-boy-who-lived" had been treated so badly and wasn't a spoiled, attention seeking prat like he had thought. That was the last thought that went thought his head as he entered the kitchen; he fixed a plate of food from the stove and sat down at the table to eat. Ginny and Harry said good-morning to him as they drank their tea; he knew they were waiting on him to finish eating, it was his day to clean up (he shuddered) with out magic. Living like a muggle was horrible but at least he was safe.

The three spent the day going to the park, visiting Mrs. Figg (Draco hated it there) and just relaxing around the house. Remus had flooed them late in the afternoon to check on the potion supply and had promised to get more to them before noon the next day. After they talked to Remus, Ginny and Draco decided they wanted to learn more about the movies. Draco declared, "The only way for me to learn about muggles is to watch the TV or the movies," so the spent the rest of the night watching a little bit of both. During the last movie, Harry had to excuse himself and go to the loo; while he was gone Draco asked Ginny about Harry's birthday and if she had heard from her mum about the party. Ginny gave him a look of "So you listened in on the conversation with Tonks," but just shook her head no.

Ginny wondered what Draco was up to, asking about the party but she would talk with him later. She started to ask him but Harry came back down the stairs. She would either talk to him when Harry took his shower tonight or talk to him in the morning. She had to admit to herself that it was weird to have him here in the beginning but now they were both used to Draco staying at the Dursley's home. Draco being there was not based on friendship but on trust and she figured that if he was going to try and be nice about Harry's birthday she would let him; she just hoped that her mum would owl her back soon. Harry's birthday was only six days away and needed the time to get things ready; with Harry being in the house it was going to be hard to get it all planned and setup with out Harry finding out.

At ten-thirty they all decided to call it a night and head to bed; Ginny taking her shower first and when she came back into Harry's room told Harry to go next. While Harry took his shower Ginny decided to talk to Draco about the party.

"Draco, I know that you over heard the conversation that Tonks and I had; once I get the owl from mum can you help me keep Harry at the park or something."

"I can try but can I ask you something"

"Sure Draco, what do you want to ask but know that if you make me mad I will not be responsible for my actions." Ginny said this with an evil smile on her face.

He shuddered at the thought of her hexing him and asked, "Is what you told Tonks true, that he has never had a party or received gifts from his family?"

"Yes, what did you think, his muggle relatives spoiled him and gave him parties fit for a king," she said this through gritted teeth.

"Well, actually I did. The man I called father would talk about stuff like that when I was growing up. He used to tell me the story every year; he would say that the ministry took care of him and his muggle relatives; sent them money and presents for his birthday from the wizarding world so their savior would know they were proud of him for defeating the dark lord. Father used to say that it was a fluke that Harry Potter had vanquished the dark lord; he never really believed that he had been killed that night. Now the whole wizarding world knows that he didn't die; that he some how was able to separate his soul or something like that; that is what father had said a few weeks before we started back to school last year." As Draco spoke Ginny could see the sad look in his gray eyes.

"Well, just so you know what you heard yesterday is true and probably a lot more than any of us will ever know. Next time you go down stairs look in that cupboard and see how he lived for almost eleven years and that he wasn't spoiled all these years."

"So how can I help with the party; you know he won't want to be alone with me."

"I'm not sure yet, but as soon as I have a plan we can talk; we have to be careful that he doesn't find out."

"Ginny, I know that there is a lot of hate between Harry and me but I was thinking I could get him something; it is proper etiquette to give your host a birthday present when you are staying in their home and I want to get him a little something for all his help and cause it's his birthday."

"Did you have something in mind; if not maybe I could help you decide what you want to get him."

"I'm not sure yet, but I will let you know if I can't come up with a good gift."

"Shush"

"What"

"The water just went off, he's done with his shower you better get your stuff ready before he gets here or he will know something is up."

"Right, just let me know when you have a plan ok."

"Alright Draco, I hear him coming try and act normal." Draco gave her a look that said he always acted normal.

About that time, Harry walked through the door; a tapping noise came from the window and Ginny jumped up and opened the window before Harry could react. Pig fluttered around the room until Ginny put out her arm for the little owl to land on. Ginny removed three letter from the little owls leg; she then placed the owl into Hedwig's cage to get some water, gave the owl some owl treats and then turned back to Harry and handed him a letter addressed to him from Ron. Harry gave her a queer look, seeing the other two parchments in her hand and moved over to the bed.

"The others are addressed to me from mum and Hermione, go on read your letter from Ron and if there is a message to you in these I will tell you ok."

Ginny sat in the chair at Harry's desk and Harry sat on his bed; both reading their letters from their friends and family. Harry sat there, read Ron's letter, and chuckled at what his friend had wrote.

Harry,

How are you holding up mate, I'm sure your summer must be boring with Ginny (if you only knew mate) there and with that git Malfoy. I just hope that Dumbledore will give mum the ok to let you come soon; you know she is in a right state with not being allowed to bring you here. I heard her telling dad the other night that with those muggle relatives of yours being gone that you and Ginny were probably starving. One minute she is feeling sorry for Malfoy and then the next she is on a rant about how all of you are in danger.

Hermione has sent word that she will be here with us the second week of August and I think mum is going to get all of our school things. She says it's not safe for any of us to go to Diagon Alley; if that happens it will be a shame that you won't get to see Fred and George's joke shop. Those two have talked about nothing but you coming and having a look at the shop. Mum tries to be hard on them about the joke shop but she is proud of how well they are doing.

Any way mate, I just hope that Malfoy is being a good little boy and isn't causing you or Ginny any problems. I know you said he has to be there for a reason and I hope that it's a good one. I know that you will explain when we get you her with us and I will do my best to understand but that guy is a git and we know how he is. Just make sure he doesn't mess with or hurt Ginny in any way or I will have to hurt you; even though you are my friend.

Well mum is calling me; I have to go de-gnome the garden before mum has a fit; tell Ginny hi for me and we hope to see you both soon.

Ron

Ginny watched Harry as he read his letter from her brother; she had to smile at the chuckle that came from him as he read the letter. It was nice to see him acting a bit normal; she loved his laugh and she loved it when he smiled. She turned back to the letters that lay in her lap and decided to read Hermione's first; her mum's letter would wait for a bit.

Ginny,

I just wanted to send you a short note to let you know that if you are able to pull of this party for Harry, well my parents will let me come to the party for a while, at the most just over night. They have decided that I can't come until the last two weeks of summer and then go to the station with all of you. Let me know soon what is going on so I can tell them if the party is on or not. Harry really deserves a party for his birthday; his relatives have been just to cruel to him.

Ron hasn't said anything about the party; did you not tell your brother? I know he can be a bit of a big mouth when it comes to secrets, so I understand if you didn't tell him. Have you heard from your mum about the party plans, again let me know as soon as you can. As I said this would be a short note, so I have to close for now, mum is taking me shopping in muggle London. See you soon Ginny and tell Harry to be safe and we all will see you two soon.

Your Friend,

Hermione

P.S. I do hope that Malfoy is being a good boy and not causing you any problems.

Ginny had to smile a bit; the letter was just like her friend; no crap and straight to the point. She knew that her brother and Hermione were worried about Draco being there with them and they had good reason but he was adjusting and had caused no problems at all. Now it was time to see what her mum had wrote; she just hoped that it would be good news.

My darling daughter,

I was so glad to get your owl and to know that you and Harry are doing fine. I worry about you both every day, being there and not eating right. I am sure that the three of you are not eating well and I hope that Albus will allow you to leave there soon. I can only hope that Mr. Malfoy is acting right and not causing any problems for Harry or you. Your father and brothers send you their love and they all hope that we can get you both "here" with us soon.

I love the plan to give Harry a birthday party but I am not sure Albus will let us all come there; we know he won't let Harry leave there yet. I have sent an owl to him asking if we can arrange something for that afternoon; that way we can have time to let Ron and the others take Harry for a walk and I can help set things up quicker with a bit of magic.

We are in luck Ginny dear, as I sat here writing you this letter an owl flew in the window form Albus and he has said that you can throw the party for Harry. We will all be there at about noon; Fred, George, and Ron will get there about eleven-thirty with your father. They will get him out of the house so that we can fix things up a bit for the surprise party. Just kno0w it won't be much but he will know that we love him and that no matter what we all will be there for him.

Give Harry my love and make sure you all eat right; send Hedwig back with Pig so that I can send you some food (god if she only knew that Harry could cook and that they weren't starving) since I know you are not eating well. Know that your father and I love you dearly and we are so proud of you. We will see you soon so don't worry to much.

Love from your mother

P.S. Tell Harry we will have you both home soon.

Ginny looked up, Harry and Draco were starring at her; she gave them a weak smile and then turned back to Harry.

"Mum says to tell you hello and that she is going to send us three food; she thinks we aren't eating enough. She wants us to send Hedwig back with Pig so she can send the food. Mum also said to tell you she loves you Harry and that not to worry that you will be home soon. Hermione says hi too; what did Ron say?"

"Oh just that he hoped my summer was going good and that I wasn't to board with you here; you know how he is about his sister. He said Hermione would be there the last two weeks of August and that he had to de-gnome the garden. When we write back we have to let your mum know that we are eating and that I can cook; I mean it's not like I want her to hex me for starving her only daughter."

"Harry you know how mum is; she won't be happy until she has you fattened up and looking healthy."

"Yeah I know, she just loves to fuss over everyone and for some reason; she has to smother me the most. I love you mum but she can be a bit much sometimes."

"You don't have to tell me, I've lived with her for fifteen years."

"True," Harry said with his most dazzling smile; Ginny had to blush, Harry was flirting and she liked it. She had five days to get everything setup, since the day was almost over with.

Even though her mother would came and help her get things ready with a little bit of magic, there were some things she wanted to do herself so it would be special from her to him. By the time Ginny came back to the real world, Harry had already gotten into bed. Ginny got into bed and wondered what he was thinking about; Harry lay there looking up at the ceiling lost in his own world of thought. She didn't care what he was thinking, she curled up next to him, relaxed and started drifting off to sleep.


	17. A little summer fun

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**On October 27th at ****10:26 a.m.****, my grandson came into this world. He had to be delivered by C-section because he was breach; they were going to try to turn him that morning but she went into labor at 2:30 that morning and couldn't get the labor to stopped. He was 20 inches long and 6lbs and 12 oz. He has a head full of black hair and looks just like his mom did when she was born. We have been really busy with him, since she now lives back at home and I am sorry it has taken me so long to up date. I promise that I will do my best to get chapters out sooner. Thank you all for understanding and waiting for the next chapter. Any one who would like to see what he looks like you can go to the web site listed below and if you want, you can leave a message for him.**

**http****: www.growingfamily. com/webnursery/babypageview. asp?URLID4C0F5S0E2F. **

**Chapter 17 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her. I would also like to thank BlackRaven137 for beta reading all the chapters I do for this story.**

**Chapter17**

Harry had awoken at four-thirty the next morning; he woke from the weirdest dream he had ever had. He was running through a field of Daisies and had been chasing butterflies; not what one would call a manly dream but none the less had been dreaming it anyway but to tell the truth he felt well rested. He must have been sharing a dream with Ginny; he had been seeing through her eyes and not his own. Parts of him liked that they could share dreams, like last night and he would wake up feeling so good, but then it upset him because Ginny had to see what he would see in his dreams. To many times she had witnessed his nightmares about the graveyard and Sirius falling through the veil. Harry cursed at his lack of control, always revisiting the graveyard and the night in the Department of Mysteries. He berated himself for going there again and thought to himself, how he needed to stop thinking about such things Dumbledore's voice echoed in his head.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams; and forget to live, remember that (book one, HPSS page 214)."

Shaking that thought out of his brain, Harry grabbed his clothes trying to be as quiet as he could and headed to the shower; there was no way he could go back to sleep, he might as well take his shower and wake up all the way before he even tried to head down stairs to cook breakfast. By the time he finished his shower and getting dressed, it was only quarter after five. Harry made his way back to his bedroom and put his dirty clothes into the hamper, making sure he hadn't woke the other two people in the room and headed back out of the room and down to the kitchen.

Harry made tea first, and then sat at the table to decide what he would cook this morning for breakfast, while he waited for the tea to finish brewing. Once the tea had finished brewing, he made himself a cup of tea and headed out the back door. He sat outside on the bench in the garden, watching the sunrise in the morning sky; it was beautiful and relaxing. Harry sat alone outside for quiet a while before he was brought back to reality by a small hand touching his shoulder; it didn't surprise him that Ginny was awake and had found him outside.

She had been doing that a lot lately, finding him when he would go off by himself and at first, this had surprised him but not any more. Ginny took the empty spot beside him and drank from her teacup; she enjoyed her quiet time with Harry. Neither said a word as they sat in the garden and finished watching the sun rise; that is until he heard a soft rustling coming from the back shed. Harry looked around to see if maybe it was one of the Order members (hidden under an invisibility cloak) but saw no evidence to confirm that.

"Ginny, no don't look at me just listen ok. I'm not sure what I heard but it was a rustling sound over by the shed. What I want you to do is just act normal and go inside, no argument ok. Watch from the kitchen window and if you see anything wrong floo Remus or who ever you can get a hold of ok, go now."

Ginny tried to not look worried and stretched and then glanced around the yard and then she stood, as she stood she said, "See you inside Harry" and left for the back door. As soon as she got inside she crouched down and watched Harry in the back yard, Draco startled her by asking her what she was doing.

"Ginny, what's going on?"

"Harry heard a noise out by the shed and told me to come in and watch, just do me a favor and don't ask questions. If I tell you to go floo Remus then do it as fast as you can ok."

"Ginny, do you think it could be my father again, shouldn't we just floo someone now?"

"No, not until I tell you, it could have been a cat or dog. We have to make sure what made that sound."

"OK Ginny, if you say so but, just know that I would feel a lot better if we just went ahead and flooed someone."

"Draco just shut up so I can pay attention to what is going on outside."

"Ok, ok don't get your knickers in a twist; I do understand what you are telling me."

"Draco be warned, I will get you back for that comment, so shut your hole now."

Draco knew that he had over stepped his bounds, he chose to keep his mouth closed until she had calmed down if that ever happened (the memory of her bat-boggy-hex from last term still fresh in his mind). He watched Ginny as she peered out the window at Harry in the back yard but couldn't see him any where. Ginny started to breath hard and panic; where was he and why couldn't she see him. As if he felt her distress he appeared back into her view; relief filled her as she saw him walking towards the back door with a little black kitten in his arms.

Ginny flung the back door open and let a giggle slip from her lips as she watched Harry playing with the kitten.

"Harry you scared the life out of me when I couldn't see you but I have to say that our little intruder is so cute." Ginny said this as she took the kitten from Harry and walked into the kitchen.

Draco was under the table; still not sure, what was going on. Once he saw the kitten in Ginny's hands, he crawled out from under the table and sat down in the first chair he came to. He would not admit to any of them that he had been scared to death that his father or some of the other deatheater's had returned to finish the job that the dark lord had ordered to be done. He felt a little stupid about over reacting (and hiding under the table like a coward) and wanting to floo someone before they knew what was really going on outside; now to see that it had only been a kitten really made him feel stupid.

Harry stood by the back door and watched Ginny play with Mrs. Figgs kitten; he knew it had to be hers since she was the only one around that had so many cats. He remembered her making a comment last summer that her cats helped her watch over him; is that what this kitten had been doing in the backyard today, watching him and the others. Harry glanced over at Draco crawling out from under the table and taking a seat as soon as he was out. It seemed strange to see his enemy acting like such a coward but then again with what he had been put through by his father and Voldemort; well it just made since the he would be a little scared if by chance deatheater's came back to finish what they had started.

Harry brought his attention back to Ginny and the kitten; he hated to have to send the kitten back outside but he knew if he didn't his Aunt Petunia would know it had been inside the house (she was allergic to cats; so she said) and would have his hide for bringing it into her clean home. With a bit of despair he walked over to Ginny and put his hands out for the kitten; she gave him a questioning look and went back to cooing over the kitten.

"Ginny, please let me have Mrs. Figgs kitten; I need to send it on its way back home," Harry said this to her as kindly as he could.

"Harry, are you sure that it is hers?" she said with another questioning look and added a teary look to try to get him to let her keep the little thing in her arms.

"If I could let you keep it I would and you know that; it's just Aunt Petunia is allergic to cats and she will know that it was in here. When they get home, we want as little trouble as possible. I'm really sorry Ginny but you have to let it go home."

"It's ok Harry; I know you would let me keep her if you could. Come on little one it's time for you to go home," Ginny said sadly as she walked to the back door.

Harry and Draco watched as Ginny walked out the back door into the back garden, sitting the kitten down and watched as the kitten scurried away. She returned to the kitchen and plopped down into a chair at the table. Draco studied his hands that lay on the table, not sure what to say or if he should say anything at all. Harry stood behind her and massaged her shoulders trying to give her a bit of comfort; not sure if that was what he should do or not. With the sounds that were coming from Ginny, Harry had to smile because she was relaxing and enjoying his massage. The reminder that breakfast had not been cooked yet came as Harry's stomach gave a loud grumble; he heard Ginny snicker as the noise died away.

"Well I guess it's time to get breakfast started, do either have something you would like?" Harry said this turning a bit pink in the cheeks and with a slight smile on his face.

"Something simple I think," said Ginny.

"I have to agree, and what are we going to do today anyway?" said Draco.

"Well I'm not sure, Remus is supposed to be getting us some refills on the potions that I have to…" Harry trailed off and did not finish his sentence.

"Well we could wait until he calls or comes by and then do something or you could call him Harry and see if he knows when he will be sending the potions. That way we can maybe plan to go swimming again or just going to the park. We could even go by and visit this Mrs. Figg that owns all the cats."

"Lets just get breakfast first then I can floo Remus and find out when he is coming; once we know then we can plan out our day." Harry said this as he searched the fridge for something to make for breakfast.

Harry decided to make eggs, bacon and added some of the muffins that Mrs. Weasley had sent to them. Within an hour, breakfast eaten, the kitchen cleaned, and they were ready for their day; the only thing to do was for Harry to floo call Remus about the potions and they would be ready for the day. Draco slipped into Harry's room and grabbed some clothes and headed to the loo for his shower; Ginny and Harry went in and flooed Remus about the potions.

Remus had told them that Tonks would be bringing the potions that evening around nine; Remus gave them a stern warning about making sure that was her at the door before they opened it; Moody's voice popping into Harry's head (**Constance Vigilance** ringing in his ears).

With that taken care of Ginny took it upon herself to choose what they would do for the day. First and foremost, she wanted to meet Mrs. Figg and make sure the kitten had gotten home safe and sound, and then she wanted to go back to the water park and just have a fun day in the sun. Ginny's thoughts were to make sure that Harry had as much fun as he could; many of the stories that she had heard were not filled with normal teenage fun. For a moment it brought her thoughts to Harry's birthday and that, he had never in his whole life had a birthday party. It made her sad that, even with her family not having much money they still made sure that their birthday's were always celebrated; how could his so called family be so mean to him all these years. Well she, Ginerva Molly Weasley would make sure that Harry James Potter would have the best birthday she could give him.

After Draco came out of the loo, Ginny went to get her shower and to get ready for their day of fun. While she was showering Harry told Draco what the plans were for the day and then went to his cousin's room to change into his swimming trunks.

Draco being Draco acted like it was no big deal and that he would go wherever they went just to be polite, but in the back of his mind, he was ready to have some normal fun, to act like his life was normal and that there wasn't a dark wizard after him. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was how Potter felt all the time with the Dark Lord after him. The most humbling thing that had happened to him since he arrived in Surrey was that he Draco Lucius Malfoy had been wrong about one Harry James Potter; yes, he was the boy-who-lived but he was a real caring person who did not deserve what was happening to him. If someone had asked him last year what he thought of Harry Potter he would have talked for hours about how he was this spoiled brat that sought out trouble and broke rules with out getting into trouble. Now, he wasn't so sure he would admit it to anyone but he had to concede that his enemy was no longer his enemy.

The three teens spent most of their day at the water park, enjoying the sun and the water. Harry had a hard time concentrating on the game that he and Draco were playing in the water with several other boys. A group of neighborhood boys wanted to get a game of water polo going but they were two people short and had convinced Harry and Draco to join in. It was during the instructions that Harry had lost all coherent knowledge of the other boys; Ginny had decided to get out of the water and sunbathe. The red shimmering bikini, her milky skin and that red hair drew his eyes to her; all he could think about was how beautiful she looked lying there on the chase lounge with the sun making her skin glow. The ball hitting him in the head (thrown by Draco) brought him back to reality and made him blush. All the other boys were making comments about how the pretty redhead was such a hot babe and that they wished they were her boyfriend.

"Hey Jake look at that pretty red head over there, I wouldn't mind being her towel." This came from a boy that had introduced himself as Mike.

"You know Mike, I wonder if she is single; mind you I would love to rub suntan lotion all over her right now." Harry's face turned a bit red at that remark that Jake had made.

Another boy who had been introduced as Freddy said "Look at all those freckles she has; what a good game of connect the dots. I would start from the bottom and work my way up."

"Freddy, have you gone mad, with your ugly mug she wouldn't sit still long enough for you to even get her name," This came from a boy named John.

"A snowball would have more of a chance in the Sahara Dessert then you would with a bird like that," came from another boy who had introduced himself as Carter and Jake's twin brother.

"Well you all can put your eyes back in your head and keep the comments toy your selves; that bird as you put it is his girl and if she heard what you were saying; lets just say you would be in sorry shape," the surprise that was Harry's face as Draco spoke was priceless to Draco. Harry's eyes were protruding from their sockets and his mouth (for Draco to defend him and Ginny was a miracle in its self) was hanging open.

All the other boys gave Harry different looks, some looked jealous; some looked surprised that she would like such a scrawny looking lad. Most of the boys praised him with saying's of "Way to go mate" or "Wow you are one lucky bloke" or "Mate I wish I was you" all this made Harry blush a bit but it also made him feel like the luckiest bloke alive. Once they started playing the game; Harry and Draco caught on real quick and were enjoying the fun. It all came to a sudden halt when to the embarrassment of Jake and Carter; that their mother came over to the pool and told them in a very angry voice that it was time for them to get out of the pool and to head home. Freddy had informed Harry and Draco that Jake and Carter had gotten in trouble a week ago and been grounded and had snuck off to come and play water polo with them. Draco had whispered to Harry that "That would be one hell of a howler in our world" and Harry shuddered at the thought of getting a howler.

With losing two of their players, they all decided not to even try to finish the game; Ginny had been sitting up and watching for about twenty minutes before the mother of the two boys came up to them yelling about how they were deep trouble. She had heard what the boys had said about her and was surprised that Draco had defended her and Harry. She knew that the only reason he had defended them was that they were in the muggle world; she felt that he would not do the same in the wizarding world. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky and Ginny felt that it was time for them to head back to Privet drive; her stomach told her it was getting close to dinnertime. Ginny hopped that when they arrived home she would be able to talk to Remus alone; she had details about the party she wanted to discuss with him. She had sent an owl out to her mum with the minute details she had planned for the party and hopped that there would be a reply soon.

Harry and Draco soon came back over to where she had been sunning and plopped down it the two other lounge chairs, one on each side of her and began to dry off. She informed the two that it was time to get ready to head back to Privet drive and make dinner; she also reminded them that Remus would be sending Tonks with the potions at nine and wanted to be ready to head to bed after she left. The two boys agreed and headed to the changing room to get ready to catch the bus back to the Dursley home and Ginny headed for the girls changing room.

By the time, they caught the bus, got home, showered and fixed dinner the three were all worn out. Tonks showed up at quarter to nine with the new potions and sat for a while and talk to the three teens. At nine-fifteen Ginny asked Tonks if she could come up to Harry's room for some "Girl Talk" which made Harry and Draco make a face. Tonks followed her up the stairs and into Harry's room; Ginny explained about needing Remus to know the plans for Harry's birthday party and handed her a piece of parchment with all the details. They did talk a bit about girl stuff, mostly Ginny asking how Remus liked her new outfit and wanting to know his reaction. Tonks enlightened the young girl of his reaction and they laughed about how she had left him speechless. The two talked until nine-thirty and then Tonks announced that she had to get going, "Guard duty and all" she had said to Ginny as they walked down the stairs. Harry met them at the bottom of the stairs; he was going up to use the loo (he really wanted to find out what was going on) and Tonks told him she had to go. They said their good-byes and let her out the front door, with a promise from Tonks to Ginny that she would owl her soon.

Harry gave Ginny a questioning look but left it alone (women could be so unpredictable) and called to Draco that it was time for bed then headed up the stairs. They each took their turn using the loo and getting ready for bed; Ginny checking off the days in her head until Harry's birthday. Tomorrow would be Tuesday the twenty-seventh and would have four more days until he would be sixteen and she just hopped he would like his surprise.

I want to start off by saying I am really sorry that it has taken so long for me to up date this story. Shortly after I posted the last chapter as you know from the start of this chapter; I became a grandma (lol sounds so weird) and have been helping my daughter get through a rough time but here we are and another chapter finished. Just know that I have already started on the next chapter and that it won't be long before it is posted. The responses are a bit long because I didn't respond last chapter. So here are the responses to all 21 of the reviews from the last two chapters. Once again sorry it took so long to get this chapter out.

Xylem: Thank you for reviewing and I am so sorry that you felt that Remus flirting with Tonks was disturbing. Hey from an older persons point of view we can still flirt when we are old LOL….

Mysticruby: Thanks for the review Mysticruby and yes Maine is a little cold this time of year….I love the snow myself and I am glad you like the last chapter and hope you enjoy this one.

seekerchic211: Thanks for reviewing and I am so glad that you liked the last chapter. I am a firm believer that Remus needs someone in his life and Tonks fits the bill. I just hope that JK does not kill him off in book 6 or 7…..Until next time

efdf: Thanks for the review and I will do my best to get a little more romance into the story weather it be Harry and Ginny or Remus and Tonks but know I apparate you reading and reviewing.

C.H: Hello there CH and thanks for the review……Thank you for the vote of confidence in taking over the story for SimplyComplex…..

GiGiFanFic: Thank you so much for the review and yes I always let her twin sister know that well wishes are conveyed from the readers. My husband always says that what happens to a person is for a reason; even though we don't see why it happens. Yes SimplyComplex did start a good story and I feel fortunate to be the one to carry on her story.

ZzSheilahzZ: Thanks so much for the review and I am glad that you enjoyed reading it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and continue enjoying it until the end.

GiGiFanFic: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing not only this story but Can Love Find Me Now….I am praying that she will be back writing again as soon as she has every thing mastered. Thank you so much for the kind words and I hope that I am an example to not only young writers but also older writers; as I am in the older writer section. Yes I am a religious person and than you for the blessing. Lots of love and thanks…..Froggyy1

blackbelt1982: Thank you so much and I am so sorry that I was not able to up date like I normally do….I have been really busy as I stated at the top of the chapter but I am back to writing and will continue to up date as much as I can…..

Xylem: Thanks Xylem and yes I am with you on being glad that SC is doing ok…I will pass on everyone's well wishes to her when I send this over to Raven to beta read for me

Mysticruby: Thanks so much Mys….Thank you for the kind words about my writing and I do hope that you enjoy this chapter…..Froggyy1

blue-hair-rocks: Thank you so much for the kind words and I do hope that you continue enjoying the story…..It has been hard writing a good Draco but I hope that I can keep up with the challenge….

Nutty AL: Thank you so for the review and I am glad that you liked the bit with Remus and Tonks…..I will be adding some good old Fluff soon. I am sorry I have not been able to up date, but as I said and explained at the beginning that I have been a bit busy with my daughter and new grandson. We had a bit of a medical problem with my daughter and I have had to watch her constantly since the day after he was born. I do hope that you like this chapter and will continue reading.

Jennifer: I am glad that you love it and thank you so much for reading and reviewing…

C.H: Thank you for the reviews and I am glad that you like the Remus and Tonks pairing….Updates will be coming more often now that every thing is some what back to normal.

Wolfgurl: Thank you so much for the review and for reading. Yes, I did adopt this story, SimplyComplex is the original writer, and it was with honor that I was able to take over the story for her. Thank you for the kind words and I will do my best to keep my writing as good as I can and not disappoint anyone. I am glad that you like the Remus and Tonks romance.

Xylem: Thank you and I am sorry that you though the beginning was disturbing….I am glad that you liked it anyway and hope you will enjoy this chapter…..

Mysticruby: Thank you so much for the kind words and I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter…..

blue-hair-rocks: Thank you so much to you and your girlfriend for reading the story and for reviewing….I have went back and fixed the mistake with "board". I am not sure if I posted it or not but I will go back and make sure I did…..I thank you for the most kind words and I hope that I will not let you or any of the other readers down with the chapter I post.

ZzSheilahzZ: Thank you and here you go…I am sorry that it took a while to update but hope you enjoyed……

GiGiFanFic: Thank you and sorry it took so long to update but here is the next chapter and chapter 18 is being worked on and will be out soon….


	18. Just a quiet day on Privet Drive

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 18 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her. I would also like to thank BlackRaven137 for beta reading all the chapters I do for this story.**

**Chapter 18**

_The hallway was covered in a small amount of light; coming in from a few small windows within the hallway. He walked, not at a fast pace but not all that slow; he came to the end and stood in front of a green door. With the swift movement of his wand the door opened and there in the corner stood a cloaked figure; the face was covered by the hood of the cloak and the hands were hidden in their sleeves. His hand was motioning for the person to follow him over to a throne like chair that sat near the far wall; so close to the wall, only a mouse could get behind. The person bowed to him to him; waiting to be told he could rise. _

_He said, "What brings you to me tonight; you are supposed to be in hiding until I call for you."_

_The cloaked figure said, "I know master; I want to go after Potter and his guests."_

"Harry, wake up," Ginny called out in the dream she was in.

_The words flowed out of my mouth, "There are too many eyes watching; that old fool has added more protection and it will be impossible to find that house again."_

"Harry, wake up," Ginny called out again.

_The cloaked figure spoke again, "Allow me to be the one to go once the location is found again master."_

"Harry, please wake up, please wake up" Ginny called out to Harry franticly.

_I look at the man and say, "Yes, I believe you will not fail me but I must remind you of what happens to those who fail me; I yell at this man and say Crucio."_

Ginny woke with a start; she shook him until he finally opened his eyes. He spoke is such a quiet whisper Ginny almost didn't hear him.

"Ginny…please… potion…it hurts…you…ok?"

Ginny climbed out of bed and pulled out the case that had all the potions; with a shaky had she found the potion she was looking for and climbed back on the bed. She help Harry sit up and gave him the potion; she shuddered just a bit as she remembered the dream that she had just witnessed. It was only midnight and Ginny hoped that they would be able to get back to sleep. Ginny noticed that Draco was sitting up in his bed watching her take care of Harry after the dream.

"Ginny, is he ok? He was screaming so bad; was it the Cruciatus curse again?" he asked out of real concern; this surprised Ginny the most.

"Yes Draco, Harry was seeing through Tom's eyes; a deatheater came and wanted to try to finds us again. He…he…put the…Cruciatus curse on the…deatheater…I tried…to wake him…but…he felt it anyway. We'll have to floo Remus tomorrow and tell him they are looking for us," she said all this while stroking Harry's hair and tears flowing down her cheeks.

Draco looked at her; sadness in his eyes and asked, "Do...you think…they will find…us again."

"I really don't know Draco but we need to get some sleep; don't worry once we floo Remus he will contact professor Dumbledore and he will know what to do," Ginny tried to sound convincing; not only for him but for herself.

It had taken almost an hour for Harry to fall back to sleep; Ginny lying beside him and trying to comfort him. She was mad at herself for not being able to wake him before Tom had said the word "Crucio"; she knew Harry would feel the pain and the guilt ate away at her soul for not waking him. It was another hour before Ginny could relax enough, even think about sleep; the last time she looked at the clock it said two-thirty.

The sun shown through the window of the smallest bedroom on Privet drive the next morning, waking all the occupants in the room and not one of them wanted to leave their beds. Harry, being Harry even apologized to Draco for waking him the night before; they let Ginny use the loo first and Harry grabbed him some clean clothes and went into Dudley's room to change. After changing, he headed down to the kitchen to start breakfast; it wasn't long before Ginny and Draco joined him in the kitchen. Harry had decided on a simple breakfast for them; he had bacon cooking and had the eggs already scrambled and cooking. On the table, Harry had juice and toast waiting for everyone; soon he placed the bacon and eggs in the center of the table and they ate their breakfast.

Once breakfast was over, Ginny reminded Harry to floo Remus about the dream. There was no way she was going to let anyone try to hurt Harry or herself; she had to add Draco to that now. Voldemort wanted them all hurt badly and he wanted Harry and Draco dead by his own hand; she knew that killing her would just be fun for Voldemort and hurt her family and Harry. Ginny followed Harry up to his room to retrieve some of Harry's parchment and one of his muggle pencils; she had lists to make and plans to finalize for Harry's birthday party. She only had three days until his birthday; her mother was going to send his gift, as they always did. Ginny left Harry in his room; she wanted Harry and Remus to talk about the dream and anything else that might be bothering them.

Ginny found Draco in the lounge watching another muggle show that was on that TV again; sometimes she wondered if it had been a good thing to show Draco how to make it and that damn VCR work. She knew that Draco would never admit to liking anything to do with muggles but when he sat and watched a regular program or a movie his eyes would light up; he was enjoying his "muggle time" as Harry had named it. As Ginny sat curled up in the biggest chair in the lounge; she would write for a bit and then watch Draco over the parchment. This was a different side of the Slytherin that she had never seen before, that no one had ever seen before but he looked at peace for the first time in his life (well since she had meet him anyway) and was actually a nice person when he wanted to be. She knew once they were all back at Hogwarts that he would not publicly acknowledge her or Harry; it wouldn't bother her and she knew it wouldn't bother Harry either. Sitting there watching him she wondered if he had decided what he wanted to get Harry for a present, if he had; well how was he going to get it with out Harry knowing that he had gotten him a present. She decided to ask him and suggest that he could send an owl to Remus with the money and just bring it with him to the party.

Ginny cleared her throat to get Draco's attention, "Draco, have you thought about the present you wanted to get Harry?"

Draco looked up from the TV and said, "I have a few ideas but I'm not sure he would like it let alone accept it."

Ginny gave him a look that said "as if" but said, "Draco, I know that the past few years have not been good between you and Harry and that is what makes you say that but I bet Harry would accept a gift from you. What are the few ideas that you have came up with?"

Draco gave her one of his bad boy sneers and said, "Well that snake was helpful with warning us about the Dementor's, so I though about getting him a pet snake or Robs are always a nice gift. My mum always gave me books and I figured that would be good or like my aunts and uncles; they always just got me certificates to use in Diagon Alley."

"Well Hermione always gives Harry books so I would say no to that and Ron always gives him chocolate and books on Quidditch. The certificate sound good but how would you decided what store he could use it in or the snake would be hard to get before his birthday. Wait you could get a certificate for a snake form the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley; that way he can get a magical snake," Ginny said with a smile on her face.

Draco had to smile too; she came up with the perfect gift but had to frown; how was he going to get that and he voiced his thoughts to her, "Ginny, that is a great idea but how am I supposed to get that with Harry knowing I went to Diagon Alley. That would cause a big problem; any ideas?"

Ginny just smiled even more and said, "Yes, I'm not sure what a snake would cost but send an owl to Remus with what you would think it would cost; ask him to get it for you and bring it to the party. Problems solved," Ginny said with a smirk so big Draco had to laugh.

"Well Weasley, you really are the big problem solver; thanks for the help and we can send an owl to professor Lupin after lunch," he said with that smile he had used the past few days, as if they were friends but she knew that they were ok.

Ginny and Draco had been on their own most of the morning while Harry talked to Remus and had moved into the kitchen. Ginny, already getting things ready to make lunch for them, making Draco help set things up as Harry came back down the stairs. Ginny had decided that they would have a simple lunch of soup and sandwiches; Draco finished first and disappeared up to Harry's room. Harry gave Ginny a questioning look when he left; she explained to him that he was writing a letter to professor Dumbledore to find out when he was coming to take him to Hogwarts. Harry accepted her answer but deep down knew that something was not right; was Draco hiding something from them or was Ginny helping him hide his secret. He decided to let it go for now and would worry about it later on; he was just glad to have the time alone with Ginny.

Later that afternoon Harry received letters from Ron and Hermione; his friends were so predictable when it came to their letters. Always the same thing; asking if he was doing ok, asking if Ginny was behaving (Ron's way of asking if Ginny was bothering Harry), telling him they were working on getting him away from the muggles and most of all from Ron; "was Malfoy staying out of trouble and leaving Ginny and Harry alone and not being a prat." Harry let Ginny read the letters and told her they would respond to them later on; he just wanted to relax and enjoy the evening. Ginny gave Pig some owl treats and sent him on his way; she would use Hedwig to send the letters later on that evening; Pig was a good owl but Hedwig always took her job seriously, delivered her mail straight to the recipients, and always did it with speed.

While they were watching the news that night; Ginny decided to write her brother back first and then while Harry was reading that letter she wrote to Hermione. Harry had to laugh at the letter Ginny wrote to Ron; it was short and to the point.

To My nosey brother and Harry's friend,

Harry is doing fine and so you know I am doing well (thanks for the concern); Draco is being a good boy so you don't have to worry about him hurting your precious best friend Harry; all my limbs are intact so no worries there. Tell mum that I have everything ready and we will see you all soon; no worries Harry is a fine cook and we are eating well. I don't know why you are asking if I am behaving; what do you think I am doing here anyway.

Well I have to answer Hermione's letter so we will close for now; yes we, as I am writing this letter and Harry is approving of everything I have written. See you soon brother; counting the days until we are home.

Love your sister and best friend

Ginny and Harry

Ginny handed Harry the letter to Hermione; she had to laugh at his facial features as he read the letter. She would add a little more before she sent it to her friend.

Hermione,

We just received your letter; know that Harry is doing well. He is still having problems sleeping but Remus has supplied us with potions for him so that he can get his rest. I promise you that I am making sure, he does rest, and that he takes the potions when needed. Harry and I are getting to know each other better; I can honestly say that we have become friends.

Ron is still being a prat and asking Harry if I am bothering him; what can I say about my brother, oh yeah he is a prat. I just don't understand why he thinks I am bothering Harry. Ron has his concerns like you do about Draco; just know that I can't tell you what has happened or anything like that but he is behaving and is no longer wanting to be like his daddy.

As I told Ron everything is good here, Harry is a good cook, we are eating well, and everything is ready for us to join the party when we get home. We both hope to see you soon; we miss all of you. Well Harry and Draco are yawning; we had a rough night last night (bad dream) and we all need to try and get a good nights sleep. I will close for now so I can get these sent off to you and Ron before I go to bed.

Love to our best friend

Harry and Ginny

Harry smiled at her and handed back the letter; he knew she wanted to add some things she didn't want him to read. It was ok with him; she had a right to add the girl talk stuff she always did. They sat there for another ten minutes before Ginny excused herself to send off the letters to her brother and Hermione. Draco had fallen asleep on the couch; Harry decided to let him sleep there tonight. He would not have to worry about waking him up if he had another visit from Voldemort or if he had another bad dream about Sirius or Cedric. Harry gave Ginny about ten minutes to send off the owl with the letter and for her to get ready for bed. He knew she would say no but he would offer to sleep in the other bed tonight; that way she would not have to suffer from his dreams again.

Ginny was sitting at Harry desk when he walked into the room; he grabbed some clothes and headed to the loo to change for the night. When he returned to his room Ginny still sat at his desk; she was looking out the window as if she were lost in a dream. He hated to bother her but they needed to try to get some sleep; he touched her shoulder and she about jumped out of the chair.

He gave her a weak smile and said, "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you like that but you need to get some sleep. I know I kept you awake most of the night last night. I was thinking, well since Draco is asleep on the couch that I could sleep in the other bed, you know that way you can actually get some rest."

"Harry, you don't have to do that ok; I think I rather sleep next to you then alone. I…(Blushing) have kinda…gotten used (getting even redder) to sleeping…next to…you. I…hope…you don't mind…too much."

Harry had to blush at her statement; if her brothers knew that they, slept in the same bed, he "Harry Potter" would be dead before Voldemort had a chance to find him but he tried to brush off that thought and answer her.

"Ginny, I feel…the same…I just thought…maybe you would like to get some sleep…and…you know…not worry about me…for once and…you know…sleep."

"Harry, just get into bed ok; you need me with you just incase."

"Your right Ginny; I'm sorry about all this."

"Don't be, I'm here for you ok."

"I know; thanks."

"Your welcome; now shut up and go to sleep Mr. Potter before I hex you," she said to him and then placed a kiss on his cheek before she cuddled up next to him for what she hoped was going to be a good nights sleep. Harry lay there for a while just watching her sleep, he had gotten into that habit quickly. She had been with him for almost three weeks and he had to admit it had been the best with her here. He thought about what he was going to do once he got back to Hogwarts; Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley would not allow her to sleep in the same bed with him. He knew with out her there to wake him up from the dreams, he would suffer from the curses that Voldemort used in his visions.

Harry thought about his friends and what they would send him this year for his birthday; getting their owls always brightened his day; even though their owls always showed up at midnight. It was strange that he always seemed to be awake when they came and he knew he would be awake in a few awaiting his cards and presents from his friends. O.W.L. results would be out soon; he wondered if they would come with his birthday mail. With these things going through his mind; Harry Potter fell asleep with a smile on his face; he would have a peaceful nights sleep.

Hello to all you wonderful readers and I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I am not sure how far I am going to take this story; I am debating on if I am going to end it at the point where they get on the train back to Hogwarts or take it through the sixth year. With book six coming out in July, I am not sure I will be able to finish this before it comes out. Now to respond to all the wonderful reviews I have received; thank you so much readers.

Xylem: Hello there Xylem and how are you. Thanks for the congrats; and I think Tonks would be great for Remus. You know the younger girl falling for her cousins friend and helping each other get over their grief and her show Remus that he deserves to be love even though he is a werewolf. Thanks for the review and I do hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Mysticruby: I hope that you had a very Merry Christmas and New Year; sorry it took so long to get this chapter out but with working on two stories I have to make sure I up date both stories. Yep I am doing ok and so is my new grandson; his mom is doing as well as she can being a first time mom. I am glad you enjoyed the last post and hope that you will enjoy this one too. Until next time….Froggyy1

dnd4ever: Well I guess I based the two showers a day to the boys that live in my house; they take two showers a day and spend more time in there then my daughters does and she bathes her son while she is in the shower (the little thing hates baths but enjoys his showers) and yes it would put Vernon in a spin and I am sure he would want to take it out on Harry. It is weird being considered a grandma but hey; he's here and I am indeed a grandma and I love him to death. Thanks for the review and I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

harryp123: Thanks so much for the review and I do hope that you will enjoy this chapter as much as the others.

GiGiFanFic: Thanks for the congrats on my grandson and wow; a grandma 8 times over and great-grandma wow. I have to agree with you about that; most of all when it is the first you just want to tell everyone how good they are and the little things they do as they grow older. He is almost 3 months old now and his grandpa is just over whelmed with the coo and noises he makes, its like he doesn't remember when his kids did the same thing. Thanks so much Jeanne for the review and continuing to read this story.

Wolfgurl: Thank you for the congrats on being a grandma and yes they do take up a lot of time. I hope that you will enjoy this chapter; just Harry, Ginny and Draco and yes Harry really needs some fun in his life and with Book 6 coming out in July I do hope JK gives him a little fun and his first B-day party with the Weasley's. Thanks again.

Beth5572: Hello Beth and I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter; I never thought it would be hard to keep this story going but it has been some work. I have found myself adding things that are for my story, have to take it out, and redo to keep with in the things that SimplyComplex wanted to be told. I am having fun with both stories and hope I can get them finished before the 6th book comes out. Thank you Terri for reading and reviewing this story; if it weren't for you and the other readers this story would be dead words out there. I am so glad to keep this story alive and hope that everyone who reads this is enjoying what I add to SimplyComplex's ideas; until next time……Froggyy1


	19. Counting the days

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 19 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her, this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her.**

**Chapter 19**

**Counting the days**

Thursday the 29th of July started out to be one of the hottest days of the month so far; at two-thirty that morning, Ginny had slipped out of bed and opened the window to let in what little breeze there was blowing to come into the little room. She sat at the desk for a bit; just enjoying the light breeze. By three, she decided that she needed something much lighter then what she was wearing if she was to get back to sleep; she searched her trunk but had nothing that was any cooler and decided to look through Harry's clothes. She found one of the over sized tee shirts he used to wear; she went into the loo and changed. Coming back into the room ten minutes later, she sat at the window for a little bit longer to enjoy the breeze and then climbed back into bed. She let her mind wonder about the past few weeks; being here with Harry had been wonderful and she cherished every moment. At times she hated that Draco Malfoy was there with them but then she would chastise herself; he had turned against his father and Voldemort and needed good people around him right now. This was not the first time since he had arrived that she wondered what would have happened to him if he had not showed up in Surrey; would the deatheater's have found him sooner and if so, then he would be dead. No matter how much she disliked him for the things he had done to her, Harry and her family in the past; she would never want Draco dead.

Draco being there was not only a learning experience for her and Harry but for Draco; Draco was learning about muggles, how the muggles lived and most importantly how Harry truly lived. With the stories that his father told him growing up were being proven wrong and she was glad for that; Draco would never admit to learning any lessons while he was here but she knew he was and was truly happy about that little detail. In just a few day he would be seeing how Harry would receive his first ever birthday party; she just hoped Ron would not show how much of a prat he could be. She knew Hermione would have her doubts but would be fair nonetheless; she knew her mother would do her best to be fair to Draco and include him during the party. Many thoughts were running through her mind as she started drifting off to sleep; she had to keep the thoughts of the birthday party out of her dreams since they had been sharing dreams. She focused her thoughts on her mother, father, and brothers; dreaming of them being home would be a good thing tonight.

As soon as she had left his side earlier that morning, Harry had woken. He knew she was trying not to wake him but the absence of her body next to him over took his senses and he felt a great loss. He had watched her sit at the window trying to cool down, with the breeze blowing softly through her hair. He had to wonder again, what had taken him so long to see Ginny for the person she was and not just as his best mates little sister. It took a lot for him not to laugh as he watched her rummaged through her trunk; he had wondered what she was looking for. When she had started going through the wardrobe with his old clothes and came out with that big tee shirt he almost laughed aloud; he knew she would look better in it then he ever did. He had watched her leave with the shirt; he knew she was going to change and would come back soon. He had tried so hard to stay awake until she returned but in the end fell back to sleep, the heat in the room reminding him of Trelawney's classroom.

At 6:03 the sun started rising through the window of Harry's room, the sun had not even risen to its fullest height yet and was already making the house hot. By six-ten Harry was fully awake; he did his best not to move too much and wake Ginny since she had been awake early that morning. Harry slipped out of bed, grabbed some clean cloths, and went to get a cool shower; he though how today would be a great day to spend at the pool in town. Making his way back to his room to leave off his dirty clothes so he could start breakfast; he wonder if Draco and Ginny would want to go to the pool and maybe get something to eat in town. The though of eating in a restraint that had air conditioning sounded wonderful to Harry at the moment; by the time he reached the kitchen he decided to just have a bowl of cold cereal since it was so hot. By seven-thirty Draco wondered into the kitchen, sat at the table, and placed his head down on the cool surface with a moan. Harry knew that Draco would agree to the pool as soon as he would suggest it, not to mention that he would be able to ogle all the girls that would be there in skimpy bathing suits.

Harry watched as Draco moved over to the cabinet and grabbed a glass, cereal bowl, and spoon; going next to the fridge and getting the milk and juice and bring them over to the table. Harry knew this arrangement was hard on himself and Ginny, and knew that it must be just as hard if not harder on Draco. They were all coping with it so far but in the back of his mind, he was glad that Draco would be leaving soon. They were not friends; they had just come to an understanding to live under the same roof until Dumbledore arranged for him to leave for Hogwarts. Harry just hoped that the arrangements for Draco to leave were made before he and Ginny were allowed to join the Weasley family; Ron would not like it if Draco had to spend time at the Burrow. At nine o'clock Ginny came down to the kitchen; not bothering to acknowledge either one of them. She made herself a glass of juice, some toast and then sat at the table. The two watched her for a bit before she looked up and gave them both a shy smile; to say that Ginny Weasley was not a morning person was an understatement.

The three agreed that spending the afternoon at the pool was a great idea; at the mention of eating lunch in town, in air conditioning sent both Draco and Ginny into a unanimous expression of choir; "Potter is our King, Potter can do anything, He's giving us air conditioning, Potter is our King." The two sang this all the way back up the stairs to get ready for their day of adventure. Ginny gathered the towels; the clothes the two boys had given her, her things, putting them all into her bag and they added a light lunch into the bag just before they left the house. At eleven-thirty they headed down the street; they had to be to the bus stop by noon.

The three enjoyed their time at the pool playing games in the water, having fun on the inflatable fun island for a while; at one point, you could see all three floating around the pool on the inner tubes. No matter what they did during the day; Draco could be seen watching the girls in their skimpy suits (Draco had tried to charm a few with his so called Malfoy charm, and with little luck) and at one point had even chased a few around like any normal teenage boy. Ginny just enjoyed sunning herself on the lounge chairs every now and then, and then cooling off in the water. At one o'clock, they stopped to eat a light meal; Ginny had packed some fresh fruit, carrots, celery, and water for them to snack on since they were staying until the pool closed and would eat dinner in town before heading back to Privet drive. Far too soon for the three teens, it was time for the pool to close. Ginny headed into the women's changing room and Draco and Harry headed into the men's changing room. Ten minutes later Draco and Harry were waiting outside for Ginny to meet them; Draco making the comment about girls taking forever to get ready. Five minutes later Ginny arrived outside and they all headed towards the restaurant that was with in walking distance of the pool. After getting seats and ordering their food; the three talked about the fun that they had that day; Draco let his guard down and proclaimed that it was the best day of his life.

After his proclamation, Harry and Ginny shared a look of amusement but let it pass; they were having to good of a time to place a shadow of guilt or hate. Draco asked a lot more questions about muggle ways and even a lot more about the "spells" that kept the restaurant so cool; Harry doing his best to explain to Draco as he had Ginny about how air conditioning worked. Harry decided to treat them all to a nice dessert and ordered them all the special banana split; it arrived a few minutes later in the biggest bowl that Draco had ever seen. He understood now why it was called the Marathon; with in the bowl was six bananas split in half and surrounded the outer edge of the bowl, twenty-six scoops of ice-cream layer on top of each other and covered with chocolate syrup, strawberry topping, and pineapple topping, mountains of whipped topping and topped with many cherries. They each took a spoon and started eating; having fun laughing while they ate. By the time they left the restaurant and arrived back to Harry's relatives house; he wondered why his life could not have been this way the whole time he had lived there. Many questions popped into his mind at why his aunt and uncle hated magic so much, and in the end took it out on him.

After getting into their pajamas and settling into their normal spots; Harry turned on the TV and for a few hours, they enjoyed watching the nightly movie that was on. Ginny had enjoyed the movie that night "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory." Draco was amazed at the way it showed many different characteristics of the children in the film; he would never admit it but he could see himself in the spoiled girl that wanted everything given to her and had tried to get a golden goose; only to be hurled into the trash bin because she was bad. He could see that Charlie reminded him of Harry, someone that wanted to be liked for who he was not how he had been raised. The girl that had blown up and turned purple; to a point reminded him of the Granger girl and how she thought she knew it all and it wounded his pride to admit to himself that she did know a lot more then he did. After the movie, they all decided that it was time to call it a night; they had a full day of fun, were so full from dinner and that wonderful dessert and were all worn out from the fun at the pool. Draco lay in his bed and watched the lights from the outside sparkle against the ceiling; come tomorrow he would only have four more days before the headmaster came to take him to Hogwarts. In a way, he was glad that he would be leaving and would be under the protection of the castle wards, but he would never admit it; he would miss his time here in the muggle world and the fun he, Harry and Ginny were having. He fell asleep wondering if his old DADA teach had received his owl and if the man would carry out his request; he just hoped so since it was only tow days away from Harry's birthday.

Sorry that this chapter is so small but next will be a little bit longer; so much to cover and get ready for the Dursley's return. Thank you all so much for your support since I took over the story. I hope that everyone that read this story is enjoying where it is going and that we are all still praying for SimplyComplex. I have not heard for her sister in a while; the e-mail address I had for her no longer works. She is always in my prayers and hope that both SimplyComplex and Raven are doing well. Now on to my responses to your wonderful reviews and always remember that I love to hear what you think; good or bad.

Mysticruby: Glad to hear your holiday was good…Thanks he is a wonderful little boy and his grandpa has him spoiled rotten. Thank you so much for your reviews and your support through out this story. I still have not decided if it will go all the way through sixth year or not and if so I think it will be a sequel to this story. I want to have this finished and my story finished before book six comes out; for when it does I will not be adding any chapters until I am through reading it…LOL…As I am sure most people that read the fan fiction stories will be doing the same and not reading any of the fan fiction until they are through with book six. Until next chapter…..Froggyy1

harryp123: Thank you for the review and hope you enjoy this chapter.

Quill in Hand: Hello there, and why the name change? I am glad to hear that you loved the chapter and do hope you enjoy this one as well. Well as you can see there was nothing bad in this chapter either but that is not to say that there will be some soon; won't tell when as it would spoil things. I agree that there should be much thought before a sequel is started and I hope I didn't keep you waiting to long for this chapter. I work on my stories as I find the time with helping out with my grandson; he will be four months old this month (wow time is going by so fast) and is growing like a weed. Until next time…..Froggyy1

GiGiFanFic: Hello Jeanne and how are you doing? For me it has been hard writing a good Draco and knowing that JK has said that he would never be good in one of her interviews makes it even harder but I am doing my best to keep it in character as SimplyComplex had him in the first 11 chapters. Yes I agree; in Jk's books he is some what like Harry; some what blinded by the way he was raised and through SimplyComplex eyes saw some good in him with her story; I just hope that I am keeping it the way she would have wanted it to go. Yes, the little one is perfect; grandpa has spoiled him rotten. I am still thinking over the part of doing a sequel so time will tell. Thank you so much for the support and the reviews; until next time…..Joyce (Froggyy1)

Lourdes: Hello there Lourdes and thank you so much for checking out this story; I agree that Harry does need a lot of happiness and have a somewhat normal summer with some friendship on the side. That being, one of the reasons I wanted to help finish this story and that I hate to find a story that I like and bam they stop and never finish it. The credit for the title belongs to SimplyComplex and I hope that you don't mind but I combined my response to your two reviews. Thank you so much for the support and the reviews…..Joyce (Froggyy1)

dnd4ever: Thank you

Dragonstorm316: I am glad that you think I am doing well with the story; it is hard to try and follow someone else's writing form and keep it going the way they intended it to go. Thank you so much for the vote of confidence and will try my best to keep it going with good story lines.


	20. Getting ready for Harry’s firs

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's 1 to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 20 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her, this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her.**

**I also want to apologize for it taking so long for me to up date this story. My mind would not cooperate; I have had a hard time coming up with things to write in this story. Along with having writers block, my cousin died and I had to travel to ****Indiana**** for his funeral; we were gone for 10 days. I will be doing my best to get more chapters out between now and the release of book six; I had hoped to have this finished before it came out but as of right now I don't think that will happen. Thank you all again for reading and supporting me with this story and hope you all will stay until it is done.**

**Chapter 20**

**Getting ready for Harry's first Birthday Party**

Friday the 30th of July was another hot day; it started just like the day before but just of a few degrees hotter. The three spent their morning as they always did; Harry always rising first and in the early morning hours, he would then make his way down stairs to make tea and end up sitting out in the back yard watching the sun rise. Ginny would rise not long after him and join him on the bench enjoying their quiet time together alone. Draco would rise an hour or two after the other's and join them for a light breakfast. After breakfast Ginny informed the two that she was going up to shower and change; the two boys were instructed to stay down stairs until she was finished. As Ginny climbed the stairs she ran through the things that needed to be done for the birthday party for Harry the next day; her mother would be calling her sometime today to let her know if all the plans were set.

She entered Harry's room a few minutes later and began to get her clothes ready for her shower; Ginny was startled by her mother calling out to her from the fire place that her father had added to the room when she first came to stay.

Mum, is something wrong," Ginny asked in a worried voice.

"No Ginny dear, I just wanted to let you know we will be setting up the party at Mrs. Figgs house. It will be just so much easier for us this way; does Harry suspect anything?"

"I don't think so mum but you know how he is; he tries to keep everything to himself."

"I know how you are dear; so is he sharing anything with you about his feelings?"

"Some mum but I can't tell you any of it; when he is ready I'm sure he will talk to you. Just keep being there for him and show him how much you care. In time he will talk to you; believe it or not mum he loves you dearly."

Molly Weasley wiped a few tears from her cheek and said, "You know we all love him, I see him as one of my own and that will never change. Now dear, Tonks will come to get you today around two-thirty; that way we will be able to have everything cleaned and ready for the party tomorrow. Hermione will be here tonight and we all will floo over to Mrs. Figgs house by ten; just make sure you all arrive there at noon and no sooner."

"Will dad be able to be there at all; I know the more people to come the better it will be for Harry."

"Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Remus, Tonks, and Bill and Charlie will be there since they are here for the Order meeting tomorrow night and I will be there. Tonks has guard duty tonight for the Order, so she will have to patrol Privet Dr. from six to twelve. Your father will be able to get there around four and stay until we leave. Minerva and Albus will be there but as of yet we do not know what time they will show up; Albus has something to give to Harry but that is all I know about that. I contacted Mrs. Longbottom about Neville coming and she has agreed; he will floo over to the Burrow in the morning around eleven. Fred and George will meet him there and then floo over to Mrs. Figgs house; most of the others are either off traveling with their families or were not able to come but between all of our family and the Order there will be plenty of people to wish him a happy birthday."

"Ok mum, can we talk more when I get there; I have to get a shower and get back down stairs so the boys can shower; I know they are wondering what is taking me so long."

"Yes, go get your shower and I will see you soon dear."

Ginny had to rush to get showered and ready; when she came out of the loo and entered Harry's room both Harry and Draco were sitting there. Ginny noticed that even though Draco had been here for a while now he seemed so uncomfortable being alone with Harry in the room; she felt a little sorry for the both of them but didn't dare let them know.

Ginny looked between the two and said, "Harry, why don't you get your shower first."

"Sure no problem but what are we going to do today?"

"I don't care," said Draco.

"Mum floo called me this morning before I got in the shower; that's what took me so long. She wants me to meet her at Mrs. Figgs house at two-thirty; (Harry raised his eye-brows at her) you know how she is Harry. She just wants to make sure we are all ok and eating well."

"Oh good, we all can walk over there and visit for a bit then go do something in town," Harry said with a smile on his face.

"Sorry Harry, but I will be the only one going; she was a bit vague when she told me to be there. I think she may be giving me "The Talk" since I am staying here alone with two boys but if you both want to come and hear what she has to say then I don't see a problem with it," Ginny said as she hid her face so they couldn't see the smirk that was there.

"WHAT? You are joking right…she knows…bloody hell…Ron would kill me…Gin she knows that I would never right?" Harry said with panic in his voice.

"My father gave me the talk years ago and I do hope that your mother would never think I would ever try to touch you," Draco said with a look of disgust on his face.

Ginny had to hold in the giggles that were trying to escape as she said, "You Harry, the-boy-who-lived try to take advantage of her one and only little girl (a giggle escaped) like that; I do hope she knows you and I better then that Harry. Don't worry too much about it; in the wizarding world boys get the talk at just before they turn sixteen and the girls get it just before they turn fifteen. As far as you are concerned Draco; I really don't think she is worrying about you too much, other then how you are behaving."

"Well, that's good to know Ginny; how long will you be gone," Draco said.

"Yeah Gin, what time will you get back," Harry said with a little bit of panic in his voice again (he wasn't to keen on staying alone with Draco).

"I'm not to sure; I guess it all depends on how long it takes her to get the never up to even talk to me about sex. Mum is a bit of a prude when it comes to talking about relations with us kids. Dad had it easy with the boys since they already knew quite a bit from school and I am the only girl so she doesn't have anything to go by."

"So you think you will be an hour or two?" Draco questioned.

Ginny acted like she was thinking hard to determine how long she would be there and then said to both of them, "Well I can only guess to say about two maybe four hours; it all depends on how fast mum get to "The Talk" and how fast she talks. Knowing her it will take a while but don't worry you two will be able to find something to pass the time while I am gone. I know this will be a bit awkward for you both but you can do this."

They both gave her a look that plainly said "Yeah right" but both nodded their heads to acknowledge that they would do their best to conduct themselves accordingly. Knowing that he would not see Ginny most of the day was a hard pill to swallow for Harry; so much so he asked Draco politely to follow him into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen he asked Draco if he would mind staying in his room until she left; it was the hardest thing he had ever done concerning Draco Malfoy. Well letting his oldest enemy stay in his family's home had been hard but he could not let him return to be tortured or killed at the hands of his own family and Voldemort. Draco had answered him with his ever evident smirk but had agreed to leave the two alone until Ginny went to Mrs. Figgs to meet her mother.

Ginny and Harry spent their time sitting in the living room; just sitting, holding hands and had their heads leaned in resting on the other. No words were said and none were needed between the two; Ginny knew Harry was having a hard enough time letting Draco stay in the house, his biggest fear was that his relatives would find out and the trouble it would cause. This and many other factors were eating away at his nerves; which she saw every day in his eyes and face and with her away for a while today would be working on his nerves even more. She hated to see him this way but no matter what she would be there for him always. She also felt lucky being here with him and being the one he confided in about all the heart aches he had been through during his life. He had always depended on her brother and his other best friend Hermione but now he was depending on her and it felt good. She knew it was selfish on her part but she didn't care because it was she that was helping him heal. Time slipped by to fast for the both of them; the time had come for Ginny to head over to Mrs. Figgs house.

Harry watched as Ginny walked out the front door and headed to Mrs. Figgs house; he knew that Mundungus Fletcher was standing guard on the house (he could smell the mingled drink and stale tobacco filled the air and it was coming from his Aunt Petunia's Rose bushes by the front door.) He watched as a young girl with red hair made her way down the rode just opposite of Ginny; the girl looked back at Harry and winked (that has to be Tonks he thought to himself) and knew that she would be safe going to and coming back from Mrs. Figgs house. Harry shut the door and looked to the stair case; a shudder went through his shoulders at the thought of just ten minutes alone with Draco, let alone two maybe four hours. Before he went up the stairs he headed into the living room; the best way to make the time go by faster was to watch movies or the TV and not have to really talk to Draco; he sat everything up and decided to get some movies from Dudley's private (movies his mum didn't know he had) stash.

Making his way up stairs and stopping in front of his door he braced himself; he had to remind himself that right now Draco was in as much danger as he was and he didn't want to feel guilty about another person's death. So with reluctance he opened the door to his room and invited Draco to come down stairs and watch movies with him. For the sake of keeping the peace while he was under Potter's roof (it was still hard from him to even consider calling him Harry) he stood and followed him down the stairs. Harry had picked out three movies to be on the safe side; not knowing how long Ginny would be. He picked out Interview with the Vampire (that would take care of two hours and twenty-two minutes), The Craft (this movie would take care of another hour and forty-one minutes), and Hellraiser (this movie was an hour and thirty-four minutes); his Aunt Petunia would have a fit if she knew that her little Diddy Dumkins had such movies. Draco wanted to watch the Vampire movie first and Harry didn't argue with him about what movie went first but Harry decided that they would watch The Craft second; this way Draco could see how muggles imagined witches to be and saved Hellraiser for last. These three movies would cover a little over five and a half hours (Harry hoping that this would be more then enough until Ginny got back) and have time to have dinner ready when Ginny returned.

**Mrs. Figgs House**

Ginny arrived at the front door of Mrs. Figg at two-fifteen; she was a little early and hoped that with everything they had to do it wouldn't take to long. Her mother would be using magic and would make the process a lot quicker; she (Ginny) would add her own personal touches to make it extra special for him. She knocked on the door and turned to look across the street (Tonks was still there and trying to act as if nothing was going on) at the red head; Ginny had to stop the giggles that were trying to escape her throat. The girl looked over to where Ginny was standing and waved to her; Ginny returned the wave just as the door was opened by Mrs. Figg.

Mrs. Figg looked at Ginny for a moment and then asked, "May I help you dear?"

"Oh, Hello Mrs. Figg, I'm Ginny Weasley. My mother said to meet her here at two-thirty but I am a bit early."

""Oh, you are Molly's daughter, come in dear; your mother is here already."

Ginny stepped inside the door and Mrs. Figg closed it quickly and said, "There is no need to take any chances now is there dear."

"No ma'am there isn't, will you be staying for Harry's party tomorrow? I know that you are giving up a lot to let us use your home for the party and I greatly appreciate it," Ginny said trying to be polite to the elder woman.

Mrs. Looked at Ginny like she was trying to figure the girl out and then said, "I am not giving up anything for this party as I have watched over Harry since Dumbledore brought him here almost fifteen years ago. In a way it is my way of making things right for not being nicer to him over the years. He is a wonderful boy and has turned out to be such a good person no thanks to the Dursley's; will that young man Dragon Malful be coming with the two of you tomorrow?"

"Yes ma'am Draco Malfoy will be coming with us tomorrow and he will be on his best behavior that I promise you. I just hope he enjoys himself"

"Yes my dear, his Aunt and Uncle have never done a thing for the boy's birthday and I was so thrilled to hear that you wanted to throw him this party. He will be grateful I am sure; you must care for him deeply."

"Yes ma'am I do; thank you again for letting us use your home."

"Come, I am sure you want to get started with the preparations; your mother has been helping me set up things for my cats. We don't want the poor dears in the way tomorrow during Harry's party now do we?"

Ginny found her mother in the back yard; she was conjuring small houses for the cats to stay in during the heat of the day; Mrs. Figg had made it clear she did not want any one hurting her precious babies during the party. Ginny wasn't to surprised to see the fifteen houses along the back fence for the cats; Harry had told her how he hated coming to Mrs. Figgs because of all the cats and the cabbage smell. She watched as her mother added the last of the cooling charms and double checked her work to make sure everything was perfect. When her mother noticed her there she gave her a big smile but continued checking her cooling charms. After the last house was checked Molly Weasley came over to her daughter and engulfed her in one of her famous hugs.

"Ginny dear, when did you arrive?"

"Oh, I got her about fifteen minutes ago; you were busy so I just stood here and watched you work," she said with a smile that showed her mother that she was impressed with her charm work.

"Did you have much trouble convincing Harry to let you come alone dear; I know he must be in a bad mood to have to stay alone with the Malfoy boy," Molly said as they walked into Mrs. Figgs house.

Ginny plastered a evil grin on her face as she said, "Well mum, all I had to do was tell them that you wanted me to come over here to have "The Talk" since I was living in a house with two boys and that we were all in the same room."

Molly Weasley gave her daughter the sternest look she had ever given the girl and said, "Now Ginerva Molly Weasley, how could you do that to Harry let alone that poor Dragon Malfoy boy. Te even let them think that your father or I would accuse them of such a thing is beyond reason young lady. You know very well that your father put up charms to protect you in that way; even if you were to go along with any of the funny business you teenagers get up to, the both of you would get a very big surprise."

"Mum, I had to tell them something and his name is Draco not Dragon by the way; what else would you have me tell Harry to keep him from coming. This is supposed to be a surprise party for him and if he came then he would know all about it. I'm sorry mum (to make a bigger effect on her mother Ginny put the saddest look and added her puppy dog eyes) it was the first thing that popped into my head and I know that would stop Harry from wanting to come with me and it did work."

"Well you will tell him the truth at the party tomorrow young lady; I do not want those two boys to think that I would ever think that or for that matter your father. Now what do you have you planned out for this party?"

Molly Weasley had been at Mrs. Figgs house since eight that morning and had all the cleaning done before Ginny had arrived. They set to work on the decorations and the instructions of what Ginny wanted the cake to be and how to decorate it; once the cake was finished Molly put a charm on the cake to keep it fresh until the party. She had informed Ginny that she would make most of the food back at headquarters and bring it all over the next day. Once they finished they all stood back admiring their work; Ginny had to giggle at Mrs. Figg as she bounced on the balls of her feet. The little old lady was clapping and had the biggest grin on her face; you would think the party was for her by the way she acted.

Mrs. Figg look to the two others with such love and affection and said to them both, "You just don't know what this will mean to the boy; since arriving at the Dursley's home he has never had a birthday party. I can guarantee you that his relatives have never once celebrated his birthday; you both must love him very much."

Ginny blushed and said, "Yes ma'am we do."

Molly Weasley's face took on many emotions right at that moment. First there was sadness, rage, hate, calculated revenge, sympathy, and love. She looked over at her daughter and Mrs. Figg and then said, "I have heard rumors about them being unkind to Harry but those…horrid, horrid muggles…if I ever see them face to face I will not be responsible for what I might do to them. I have heard Ron talking about how bad they were but I never thought that it was all true. Ginny I want the truth and if I find out you have lied to me you will be in great trouble; now tell me, are there still bars on his windows or the locks on his bedroom door. Lets see, oh yes something was said about a floppy thing on the bottom of the door where they push food through. I want to know the truth young lady of what they have done to him **NOW."**

Ginny was flabbergasted by her mothers out burst; she knew how she felt about Harry and knew this was not going to be good. She just prayed that Ron, Hermione and most of all Harry would forgive her for what she was about to tell her mother. With a shaky breath she started the list of things she knew, "Well mum, I know that what Ron said about the cupboard under the stairs is true; they made him stay in there until he got his Hogwarts letter. No the bars are gone now and dad wanted to remove the locks but Harry wouldn't let him. He told dad that it would make his Uncle Vernon really mad (the anger in Molly Weasley's eye could have burnt down a village right at that moment but she held her tongue) if he did and it was best to just leave them there. Since he stated living there and mum you have to know I am not sure how many times or at what age they started this but sometimes when he was "bad" they wouldn't feed him and lock him away. Mum you have to promise me you won't say anything to him at the party about this ok."

"Continue Ginerva," Molly said through clenched teeth.

"Alright mum, well you see there have been times that his Uncle has been physical with him; to what extent I don't know. He hasn't and won't talk about what all that man has done to him. Between what happened all his life in that house and then Cedric after the third task and now with Sirius…he needs time mum so please don't try to cuddle him to much more then you already do. He's learning how to greave right now for Sirius…and Cedric and to a point for his parents and himself. We all have to stand back and let him do that ok."

Ginny could almost see the steam coming for her mothers ears and to a point she understood what her mother was feeling. She had felt that way many times since coming to stay at the Dursley's home; she even had many planning sessions with in her own mind. She would sit for hours while they were watching the (what did Harry call that thing a beleyvision) and come up with hexes and curses that she would love to use on the awful muggles that had raised Harry but she knew that she would never be able to because of the restrictions on under aged magic. Her mother on the other hand could and most likely would do something to scare the muggles to death and that is what she feared most right at this very moment.

With as much control as she could muster Molly Weasley began to speak in a low and hard voice, "Ginny, I will not interfere with his healing process but I will tell you this much, your father and I will be there the day the Dursley's come home and we will have words with them. It will not be as nicely put as it was at the end of term and if they so much as try to argue I will show them I mean what I say. Now that we have everything done here I will walk you back; no argument young lady. I will not let him know that you have told me anything but I will stay long enough to fix the three of you dinner."

"Mum, Harry is a good cook and we have been eating so don't worry; I would even bet he has dinner already cooking if not finished since it is five-thirty."

"Well I will just see that for myself young lady so lets get going so I can get home and get dinner made for your father and Ron. I am not sure what time Hermione will be arriving so I have to make sure there is plenty of food for everyone. Arabella, thank you so much for letting us use your home for Harry's party; what would be a good time to arrive tomorrow to get the food set up for the party?"

"Oh Molly it was nothing; I would do anything for that boy and having the party here is my part. You can arrive any time Molly; I arise at five-thirty every morning."

"Oh dear, I would never arrive that early Arabella; would ten be alright? I think two hours to set everything up is enough time."

"That will be fine Molly; arrive any time and I will do what I can to help set everything up."

Ginny gave the elderly woman a big hug (to her immense surprise and pleasure) and waited by the door for her mother. Molly and Mrs. Figg spoke for a few moments more before Molly joined Ginny at the door. When the two exited the front door, Ginny noticed that Tonks was not any where in view (well she could have hidden under an invisibility cloak while she was in side, Ginny thought) when they exited the house; as they were walking down the street Ginny wondered if someone else was tailing them back to Harry's house. It didn't take the two of them more then fifteen minutes to make it back to the Dursley's home; Ginny motioned for her mother to follow her around to the back door and then opened the door to find not only Harry cooking but Draco at the stove stirring a pot.

Draco helping had become a normal thing in this house as of late but Molly Weasley wasn't sure what she should think (with what she had heard about the boy from both Ron, Ginny and on occasion Hermione ) or how she should act seeing such a thing. She watched as Harry moved around with such ease and grace; how could such a young boy (no man) be so comfortable with in a kitchen and cooking. Her sons would never help out in her kitchen ever; not unless she threatened them with many curses and bodily harm. Molly gave her daughter as if to ask if he was forced to do this and her daughter just nodded that it was true. Ginny decided it was time to let the two know she was back and that her mother had came with her.

Ginny letting out a low breath looked at the two boys and said, "Harry, Draco I'm back how was your day?"

With out even turning around Draco answered her saying, "Well we watched a muggle movie about Vampires and one about witches called the craft; how was your talk with your mum about sex?"

Harry had turned around to meet the eyes of Molly Weasley as Draco answered her question; when it got to where he asked her about the "Sex Talk" Ginny and her mother both started chocking. Draco spun around at the sound of two female voices; his cheeks were flushed with the brightest blush both had ever seen. Ginny couldn't help letting out a no so quiet giggle; Mrs. Weasley on the other hand was blushing as well but tried to hide it but Harry had noticed (but didn't let on that he had seen) that she bore the famous Weasley blush.

Draco stood in front of the stove with his mouth opening and closing more times then Ginny wanted to count; he was making a good impression of a fish out of water. There was an awkward silence in the room and Ginny decided to save her mother and Draco from any more embracement.

"Mum wanted to make sure we all were eating right so she walked me back; what's for dinner tonight Harry and yes Draco, the talk went well?"

Harry tried not to laugh at the look on Draco's face as he looked at Mrs. Weasley with his mouth gapping open and then closed; Mrs. Weasley for her part started moving over to the stove so she could inspect what was cooking on the stove. She lifted each lid, smelt what was cooking in the pots and out of a few of them she had even timidly took tastes of the food with in them. Ginny, Harry, and Draco watched her inspect the food that was almost ready to eat; she finely seemed to think every bit of food was up to par. She turned towards Harry; she had to let him know that for cooking the muggle way what she had tasted was delicious.

Harry leaned into Ginny and whispered, "I hope it passes her inspection since it is only roast chicken, with split peas and corn."

"By the looks of things she seems to think its edible; you'll know soon enough," Ginny said with a slight sigh.

Molly had made her way over to Harry by then and said, "Harry, how are you holding up dear? Ginny told me you were cooking dinner and I just had to make sure you all were eating properly; by what I tasted it was good. Where in the world did you ever learn to cook; my boys would never step up to a stove and cook."

Blushing from the complement he tried to answer in a calm voice, "my Aunt Petunia taught me how to cook; I have been doing it for years now."

Molly gave him a small smile and said, "Well it looks like you are doing a find job of feeding the three of you but I do hope it won't be much longer before we can get you out of this house and back with us where you belong. Dra… (Looking at Ginny for reassurance) Draco how are you holding up dear; I am sure that Dumbledore will have things set up for you at Hogwarts soon enough."

Blushing a bit he replied, "I'm doing fine ma'am, thank you for asking and I did receive a note from professor Dumbledore confirming that he will be here on August second to take me back to school."

"Good, well then since you have everything under control; I have to leave so that I can get dinner ready for Arthur and the others; you all be good and mind your manners. Someone will be by in a few days to check and make sure all is well and that you have enough food," Molly Weasley said and then took each of them into her arms and gave them each one of her famous hugs. After hugging Draco (which surprised him but had enjoyed it all the same) she moved back over to Ginny and Harry to give them another hug while Draco still stood there with his mouth hanging open.

Mrs. Weasley headed out the door and headed down the street to where she could apparate back to # 5 Grimmauld place (one could not appreciate with in the Noble House of Black) which was the nearest she could get to headquarters. Ginny took it upon herself to set the table for dinner; it took Draco a minute to turn back to the stove and the pots that he had been tending to before they had came in. Dinner as usual was great (not as good as hr mums cooking; which she missed) and they talked about the movies that Harry and Draco had watched that day. While Harry was in the shower that night Ginny explained to Draco about the preparations for the party that her mother had helped her with that day. Draco informed her that he had finely received an owl from professor Lupin; with it was the certificate for Harry's birthday. Ginny explained her plan for the next day and how they were going to get Harry to Mrs. Figgs house.

After they each had taken their shower; the three sat in Harry's room and chatted for a bit before turning in for bed. Ginny did everything she could to clear her mind of everything concerning the party for Harry; with the dream sharing (that is all she needed) she couldn't chance him seeing what was going to happen tomorrow.

**July 31st 1996**

By the time she awoke the next morning she was happy; Today was Harry's sixteenth birthday and she was giving him his first birthday party. To her great relief neither her or Harry dreamed that night; her secret was still safe. Harry to her great surprise Harry was still asleep (he had been woken up at midnight by owls; they delivered his birthday cards only); she eased her way out of bed so not to wake Harry. Grabbing her clean close; she headed to the loo to dress for the morning (she would put on her dress later) and go and cook Harry his birthday breakfast. Ginny had decided to make him chocolate chip pancakes, a smiley face made out of whipped cream and bacon. She had watched Harry using the muggle stove enough that she felt she would have not problems working it to cook the breakfast. By the time breakfast was ready, Harry still had not came down. By the time Harry and Draco came down she had the table set and was sitting patiently; as they took their seat Ginny stood and went over to the stove where the food was waiting to be served.

Not only Harry but Draco as well were both surprised that Ginny had made breakfast alone; Draco was the only one not sure about eating her cooking. Ginny had added the whipped cream face at the counter and then brought the food over; as she sat the plates down (Draco wailed "Where's my whipped cream") Harry laughed and Ginny giggled and then said, "It's not your birthday so behave", before sitting down with her own plate and starting to eat.

**Here is where I would answer all the wonderful reviews but a few of the stories I read have posted that their storied were deleted for this. ****ki master, hershykat, FluffyPinkSlippers, GiGiFanFic (I have never thought that dear), FRED (sorry but that is how SimplyComplex has it and it is how I will finish it), dnd4ever, mysticruby, and Quill in Hand thank you so much for the reviews and I do hope you are all doing well. I want to say I am so sorry again for it taking me so long to post a new chapter and to respond to you all. I hope all of you are as excited as I am that in just over eleven days we will have the next book (giggles and shivers at the thought) and I just can't wait to read it. Next chapter is Harry's birthday party and I am not really sure how soon it will be posted but I started working on it today.**


	21. Harry’s first Birthday Party

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's 1 to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 21 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her, this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her.**

**Chapter 21**

**Harry's first Birthday Party**

**July 31st 1996**

As they sat and ate Ginny wondered how she was going to bring up her plans for the day; she had three hours to get Harry to agree to it and make their way towards Mrs. Figgs house. Ginny was brought back to the conversation by a tapping on her arm; Harry was trying to get her attention (she blushed at being caught drifting off in her own thoughts) by tapping her forearm.

Turning to look at him she said, "Sorry about that Harry, I was thinking about what we might do today."

"Well if you had stayed here with us you would have heard some of the suggestion that were being made; so what do you think Ginny. We have going to the park, swimming, just getting out and walking around the neighborhood; unless you have something to add."

Ginny blushed again and answered, "Well I was thinking it would be nice to just not make any plans at all; you know just walk around and you show us the neighborhood and then maybe just before lunch we stop by that woman's house that has the cats. I would love to see that kitten again that was in the back yard a few weeks ago; that is if you don't mind."

Harry got a look on his face as if he were thinking real hard about her idea and then said, "Well Ginny, I think that we can do that but (her face fell at the thought of him not wanting to visit Mrs. Figgs) all I ask is that we don't stay long at Mrs. Figgs house. It's not that I don't like her; it's just that her house smells of rotten cabbage and cats. Mrs. Figg is a nice sort but I can only handle that smell for so long."

"That's alright Harry, I just want to check on the kitten and then we can come back here or go to that cafe for lunch," Ginny said.

Draco interrupted the conversation by saying, "Yes, lunch at that café would be great; they do have nice food for muggles (as he winked at Ginny) and professor Dumbledore will be coming to get me soon. It will be my last chance to have muggle food before I leave."

Harry looked between the two and nodded his head, "Ok so that's the plan then; we should dress in something comfortable and cool for the walk. What time do we want to start our walk then?"

"Why don't you two go on up stairs and get ready while I clean the kitchen; when you are finished then I should be done here and then I will get dressed for our day out," Ginny said to the two boys.

"No Ginny, we should help clean," Harry didn't get very far with his rant before Ginny held up her hand for him to stop.

"No, It is your birthday and you will not lift a finger to help with anything today (she had placed her hands on her hips; which reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley) do I make myself clear," Ginny said with such fire in her voice that Harry just nodded his head, looked at the floor and headed down the hall and up the stairs.

Draco offered to help while Harry was getting ready but Ginny told him no; this was her day to do things for Harry and she would not let anyone help. She knew she was being childish but this was her part for Harry; it was bad enough that her mother had helped her yesterday at Mrs. Figgs house. She finished up the dishes and waited in the lounge for the boys to come down; she didn't have to wait long before they both came down the stairs. Both were dressed in a pair of nice Kaki shorts; Harry wearing a nice tan tee-shirt and Draco had on a black tee-shirt, fitting them both nicely Ginny noticed. She headed up the stairs to get ready for their day; she wondered what kind of reaction Harry would have when she came down the stairs in her dress that Tonks helped her pick out.

Draco and Harry were beginning to wonder if Ginny had changed her mind; she had been up stairs for more then twenty minutes. Draco assured Harry that it was normal; he told a story about his mother taking two hours to get ready to head to Diagon alley in his first year. Harry thinking that it was going to take Ginny two hours had to stop himself from shuddering at that thought. Draco had to laugh at the look on Harry's face; it was priceless to see the great Harry Potter grimace at the thought of it taking Ginny that long to get ready. To Harry's relief it had only taken Ginny thirty minutes to get ready; when she came down the stairs he didn't know what to do. He knew he was blushing at the thoughts that were going through his mind; if Ron knew what he was thinking right at this moment his best friend would punch him right in the nose.

Ginny noticing the look on Harry's face was in heaven; she knew right then that he was not as thick as her dunce of a brother Ron. She watched as the expressions changed on Harry's face; it went from shock, to pleasure, wonderment and if she wasn't mistaken desire. She knew right then and there that she had made the day of Harry Potter; deep inside she was giggling that he was pleased at what he saw. Tonks had been right; she had gone on and on about how any boy would be taken with a girl in this dress. She couldn't wait to talk to Tonks at the party; it was time to get a move on so that they could arrive at Mrs. Figgs house by noon.

They all made sure they had their wands with them; after the attack they had decided not to go any where with out them. They walked around the neighborhood for quite a while before Ginny said that it was time to go see the kitten at Mrs. Figgs house. Harry made a face but obliged her request; the sooner they got that over with the sooner they could go to the café for lunch. It took the three over twenty minutes to make it to Mrs. Figgs house; Harry stopped short before making it to the door. Draco couldn't figure out why he was acting so weird but he decided to just stand there until someone made their way to the door. Ginny on the other hand was getting frustrated at his hesitance to enter the house.

"Um Harry, are you going to just stand there all day or are we going to go inside?"

"Oh, sorry Ginny"

"What are you waiting for Harry, Christmas or something?"

"I was just getting the last bit of fresh air for a while; her house always smells like cats and cabbage"

"You would think there were trolls on the other side of that door or something; come on let's get inside it is too hot to be just standing here."

I'm sorry, let's get this over with and then we will go to the café for lunch," Harry said with a bit a grimace on his face.

**Mrs. Figgs House that morning**

Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Molly Weasley arrived at Mrs. Figgs house at a quarter till ten the morning of the 23rd of July; it was good that she could appreciate into the Mrs. Figgs back yard. It took Molly four trips and an hour and a half to get all the food from Grimmauld Place to Mrs. Figgs house; the last thirty minutes before noon she made sure everything was perfect for the party. Mrs. Figg did her best to help Molly get things ready; before Molly had arrived Mrs. Figg had pulled out her card tables and set up paper plates, cups, napkins and the plastic silverware on one and left the other one for food.

After retrieving the food, Molly went to work and transfigured Mrs. Figgs couch into a long buffet table and magically transferred the utensils, plates, napkins and cups onto the transfigured table. The next thing she did was to move all the food onto the transfigured table; making sure the heating charms and cooling charms were in place. Mrs. Figg and the boys helped carry what they could; after what happened last year Molly wouldn't let the twins use their wands. Between the manual labor from those who could use magic and Molly using her wand it didn't take long to place everything on the table.

Ginny had decided to have the house decorated with a Quidditch theme; Molly had enchanted the ceiling to look like a Quidditch game from one of Ron's poster that hung in his room; with out sound of course, so that Harry (being the birthday boy) and guests could enjoy the party. Remus had even found party favors that looked like Quaffle's (red) beater bats (brown), bludgers (black), brooms (red and gold) and snitches (golden ball with silver wings) and Molly had decorated his cake to look like a Quidditch field with three golden hoops at each end of the cake. Ginny wanted it to be something he liked and for it to be personal so she had owled Colin Creevey and asked him to send her pictures from the many Gryffindor games Harry had played in. There was Gryffindor Quidditch banners hung all around the house and over the table in emerald green lettering hung a banner that had the words scrolling continuously.

"HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY TO OUR FAVORITE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER HARRY POTTER"

Bill and Charlie Weasley showed up at a quarter to eleven in time to take over for Fred and George; the twins were leaving to head over to the Burrow to meet and bring Neville over for the party. Molly warned them to be careful and to not forget to add the Phoenix feather to the fire after putting in the floo powder; they were apparating over but since Neville was under age they had to floo back. With two more wands to help with the preparations it didn't take long to have everything ready for the party. At five after eleven Mrs. Figgs fire place flared green and Neville Longbottom came out; coughing, brushing off soot, while trying to hold on to the present that was under his left arm. Bill was the closest to him and preformed the cleaning charm to help the boy out; Neville thanked him as the others greeted the shy boy.

Hermione showed him where to place the present and then she and Ron introduced him to the rest of the Weasley's that he didn't already know. Molly Weasley greeted him in her true fashion; she grabbed a hold of Neville and gave him a big hug. She asked how his grandmother was doing and inquired how his parents were at his last visit. Neville knew that a lot of people knew his parents but it always surprised him when people would ask how they were doing. At eleven-forty-five Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks arrived and at five minute till twelve Mrs. Figgs fire place became alive with green flames again; this time it was Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore coming out of the fire. Both were dressed in muggle clothes for the party; Ginny had warned he mother that everyone should dress this way; that was before the party had been changed to Mrs. Figgs house.

Ron received a smack to each side of his head from Molly Weasley and Hermione at the same time; when he saw how Dumbledore was dress it was hard not to snicker at the old man. Dumbledore was dress in Bermuda shorts that were made out of a flowery pattern material, bright orange shirt, white socks and a pair of brown beach sandals. Hermione explained to the others that this was how older men dressed in the United States when they visited the beaches in Florida; the male members of the Weasley family had moved out of the reach of their mother and were openly sniggering at their headmaster and ex-headmaster in some of their cases.

Minerva McGonagall had dressed in a very conservative but summery manner; she was a beach hat, and a nice formal looking summer dress. The dress seemed like it was cool to the skin but not revealing too much of the stern transfiguration professor. The dress was a nice beige color, fitting her in a nice fashion and made the woman look a few years younger then her actual age. Next to Albus Dumbledore she looked normal but a bit over dressed for the party; the headmaster acted as if the way he was dressed was normal every day ware. The transfiguration teacher placed her gift with the others but the headmaster made himself comfortable in Mrs. Figgs Lazy boy chair. Bill Weasley had moved from the corner he had been in to the front window and was staring out the window; it wasn't long before most of the members of the house were looking to see what had caught his attention.

Standing in the front yard were Harry, Ginny and Draco Malfoy; Draco looked like he was board with what ever was going on between Ginny and Harry. To the on lookers in the house it appeared that the two were having a discussion; Harry seemed to be talking as if he were ashamed and Ginny had her hands on her hips and looked to be giving Harry an earful. Tonks was smiling; she knew what Ginny's brothers were gawking at and it wasn't the fact that it looked like the two were arguing. The dress was a cream color with tiny Lilacs and Lillie's with in the pattern of the material; the white and yellow from the Lillie's, and a pale purple color from the Lilacs mixed with the clingy fit of the dress showed everyone how well the youngest Weasley had grown up over the past few years. The dress that she had helped the young girl pick out looked fantastic on her; the dress as Tonks was sure everyone noticed accentuated Ginny's red hair in a glamorous way. It was apparent to all the people in the house that Harry; when he got the nerve to look up at the young woman would blush.

"Would you look how Harry is blushing; he has finally noticed our little Ginny is a girl," came from Fred.

"Yes Forge, I do believe we will need to have "the talk" with our birthday boy before the party is over," said George

"Not only that Gred, she is staying with him in that house and even though Malfoy is there they could sneak off some where," said Fred.

"Boy's that is enough," came from their mother.

"Hermione, I thought you said she was over him," Said Ron with a bit of a laugh in his voice.

"No Ronald, I said she had given up on him; there is a difference you know. Just don't make a big deal about him blushing ok," Hermione said to Ron with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face; she was doing a good impression of Ron's mother right at that moment.

Remus was looking at Tonks with pride in his eyes; he was glad that she had helped Ginny choose a dress that would get the attention of his best friend's son. He looked at the crowed of people looking out the window and said, "Well Fred, George, and I guess I can say this to all of the Weasley boys not to worry; I will make the time to have "The Talk" with Harry soon. But as I see it they have been living together all summer and nothing has happened so far; so no worries boys. I am sure your parents have taken precautions so that nothing happens in that way but I will be the one to talk to him FRED, GEORGE; it's only right since he is James and Lily's son."

"Shouldn't we open the door and invite them in or are we going to just let them stand out there all day," Bill said.

"Heavens no Bill; this is supposed to be a surprise party, so that means get away from that window all of you. When they knock, who ever knocks on the door Arabella will answer it; now get away from that window," Molly said as she glared at them all.

Albus Dumbledore sat in the Lazy Boy and watched the looks on everyone's faces as they looked out the window and couldn't help chuckle (awe to be young again he thought) at the sight before him. It was good to hear the comments about how Harry was reacting to one Ginny Weasley; he know that the boy needed someone who could handle his mood swings and be able to be there for him no matter what. Minerva McGonagall stood beside him and watched as he did; she wondered how Harry would react to the present that Albus had brought him. The gift that Albus carried with him was not a normal gift but one that would forever change Harry Potter; the young man that she had grown to love as much as the Weasley's. Everyone in the room was brought back to reality by the knock on the door; before anyone could move Albus Dumbledore stood and whispered something under his breath and everyone flickered for a moment (except Arabella Figg) into nothingness and retook his seat. Mrs. Figg opened the door; Draco Malfoy was standing there laughing at the stunned look not only on her face but the face of Ginny and Harry; who were still standing out in the yard talking.

"How do you do, I am Draco Malfoy; they were to busy to knock so I took it upon my self to do so." In a loud voice he said, "We are here to see the kitten that Ginny found a few weeks ago if that is all right ma'am"

"Oh yes, how do you do Draco was it; come in dear and Harry, Ginny are you going to come in?" Mrs. Figg asked.

Harry blushed and started moving towards the door and said, "Sorry Mrs. Figg, yes we will; Ginny are you coming?"

Ginny glared at him but moved towards the door and said, "Watch yourself Potter, this is not over and we will finish this later."

Harry stood to the side and bowed to Ginny and motioned for her to enter before he did; Ginny knowing that she should have never gotten mad at him decided to forget about it and not bring it up again as she entered Mrs. Figgs house. Draco was standing by what looked like an old hat rack; she looked around but didn't see anyone in the room but him, Mrs. Figg and herself. Once Harry was through the door Ginny played along with the story about the kitten and asked Mrs. Figg about the cat.

"Oh dear, all my cats are out in the back yard; I had to dust the house for fleas," she said loud enough for Harry to hear and at the moment Harry heard a whisper and then everyone in the room reappeared and yelled together.

**"SURPRISE"**

**"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY"**

Harry stood there with his mouth going open then closed like a fish out of water; he didn't know what to say to all these people, whom most of them he considered his family. Looking around the room he noticed the old smirk on Draco's face and he knew the prat knew about the party; turning to look at Ginny he knew right then she was the one who had planned this for him. He gave her a shy smile and then turned to see who else was there. Mrs. Weasley stood by the door with a huge smile on her face; if he didn't know better (which he did) she was holding back from attacking him with one of her famous hugs. As he noticed the banners all around the room; he had to smile it was perfect. Ron, Hermione, Neville (even Neville is here he thought), Fred and George were standing by the bottom of the staircase; all had huge smiles on their faces. It surprised him to see Bill and Charlie there and to add more to his surprise was that not only was his transfiguration professor there but so was the headmaster of his school.

Mrs. Figg stood at the entrance to her kitchen smiling at the young man before her; she didn't wait for anyone else to approach him. Mrs. Figg walked up to Harry and hugged him close to her and whispered in his ear, "Happy birthday Harry, your parents would be so proud of you and don't ever let anyone tell you different. I am so proud of the young man you have become and you did it with out the help of the Dursley's." She kissed him on the cheek (he blushed) and moved back for the rest of his guest to great him. Molly Weasley was standing there waiting her turn to hug Harry.

Molly wrapped Harry in her arms and hugged him to her; he could feel the shudders going through her body. He didn't know if he should fill guilty for her crying or if this was one of those happy cries that Ginny had tried to explain to him, if that was a happy cry then he should fill happy too.

Molly released him just enough to look up into his face and said through her tears, "Happy birthday Harry dear, we are so proud of you dear. Just know you will be home with us soon, so do not worry yourself too much and just enjoy your party." Molly released him so that the others could take their turn; they all stood patiently in a crooked line for their turn.

Hermione stood waiting for her turn to wish Harry a happy birthday; Molly released him so that the others could take their turn. They all stood in crooked line; Hermione being the third female to greet him and hug him until he could hardly breathe and then she wished him a happy birthday and then moved aside so the others could greet him. Ron followed Hermione, then Neville, Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie. Professor McGonagall Harry noticed was trying to look stern but in the end she walked over to him and gave him a slight hug and wished him a happy birthday. Professor Dumbledore sat back and watched as each person took their turn giving Harry hugs and giving happy wishes to the young man. He waited patiently for everyone to finish; after Professor McGonagall Dumbledore stood from his chair and made his way over to the young man; he stood there for a few seconds and took in how the boy had changed in the few weeks since his return to Privet drive.

"Um, Hello professor Dumbledore thanks you for coming sir."

"It is not every day that a young man turns sixteen and I do have a special gift for you."

"You didn't have to do that sir; I never expected a gift from you."

"I must confess Harry that only part of the gift is from me."

"What do you mean sir?"

"Part of what I have brought is in deed from me but there is a part that was instructed to be given to you on your sixteenth birthday. It was much simpler for me to retrieve it from where it has been for the past fifteen years; Sirius would have been the one to give it to you but alas," he trailed off there not sure what else to say to the young man.

"Oh"

"Happy birthday Harry; I do hope that you will have a long and happy life."

"Thank you sir"

Ginny taking her role as hostess interrupted the conversation between Harry and their headmaster, "Alright now everyone, now that everyone has wished Harry a happy birthday, it is time for fun, food and most of all presents for our birthday boy."

"Ginny, why didn't you wish our little Harrykins a happy birthday yet," said Fred.

"Yes dear Gin…Gin, doesn't he deserve any wishes from you as well," said George.

"You know you best leave her alone boys," said Hermione. "You know she will make you pay in the end," she added.

"Yes dear boys, you better listen to our dear Hermione, I can make your life difficult in the end. Now as I was saying it is time to eat the food mum has prepared and then we can try out some of the party favors that Remus picked up for me. Harry you first and then everyone else line up behind him; mum can I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute?"

Molly followed Ginny into the kitchen; Ginny was already looking over the cake that her mum had made. She could help but smile at how perfect it was and knew that Harry would be happy with how it turned out. Molly watched her daughter standing at the counter looking at the cake; she had followed her wishes as well as she could and just hoped Harry would like how it had turned out.

"Is everything alright Ginny?" Her mother asked as she walked up behind her.

"Oh, yes mum; everything is great. The cake looks wonderful and the house looks lovely mum; thank you so much for helping me make this happen. I just wanted your opinion on how we should do the presents; you know who's he gets to open first; I gather that either what professor Dumbledore brought it either from Sirius or maybe something to do with his parents."

"Ginny, shouldn't you be asking Harry that question; they are his presents but if what Dumbledore brought is from Sirius or his parents then Harry should decide when he opens them," her mother said with a sadden smile on her face.

"I…I just want it all to be perfect for him mum; he has never…I just want it to be perfect," Ginny said at a loss for words.

"I know dear and by the look on his face I would say he already thinks it is perfect. Come and join the party dear; enjoy what you have done for him and just ask him how he wants to do his presents ok," Molly said as she hugged her daughter to her.

They both went back into Mrs. Figgs living room and joined the line for food; to their surprise someone had transfigured some of Mrs. Figgs furniture into a long table for everyone to sit and eat. Harry sat at one end of the table and at the other end was professor Dumbledore; Ron, Hermione, and Neville sat to the left; with Fred, George, Tonks and an empty space for another person (her mother took that space). On Harry's right was the open space for Ginny (he saved me a seat Ginny thought) and then came Draco, Bill, Charlie, Remus, professor McGonagall; between Remus and professor McGonagall was another empty space (must be for her father) she had noticed.

They sat and ate their lunch and enjoyed talking about things that had been going on at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, simple things going on with everyone else and Ginny being very bold ask about Harry's ban on Quidditch. Professor McGonagall informed him that all the decrees that Umbridge had enforced at the school and the Quidditch ban had been canceled. She informed him that later on that evening that Dobby would be bringing him his broom (his smile got bigger with that news) and apologized for it not being returned at the end of term. With everything that had happened at the end of term, he himself had forgotten about it being chained up and didn't hold it against anyone else for forgetting about it.

Once everyone was finished with their food Ginny, Hermione and her mother stood to retrieve the cake from the kitchen. While they were gone Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said in his office that night; Neville would be having a birthday at this time but he didn't know if his birthday was today or a few days before. Harry leaned over to and asked Neville if his birthday was today to; Neville gave Harry a surprised and confused look before answering.

"Um, no it's not today; my birthday was yesterday; Um, how did you know about my birthday Harry?"

"Oh, um I heard it some where; happy birthday then mate. Sorry for not getting you anything Neville."

"Um, it's ok Harry; I didn't expect anything for anyone."

"Don't worry too much Neville; I'll make sure you get something soon."

"You don't have to"

"No I don't but I want to so no arguments ok."

"Alright Harry but you know you don't have to mate."

"Yes" but right at that moment the Ginny and Hermione came out of the kitchen with the cake came floating right behind them and Molly Weasley right behind the cake. Sixteen candles burned all around the cake; Harry couldn't help but feel giddy all over (wow, Harry thought) it was like he was five years old and experiencing all the love from a family he had wished he had back then. Ginny and Hermione took their seats and Molly floated the cake right to Harry and placed it on the table. With a nod from Ginny everyone at the table started singing the birthday song; Fred and George sang it to their own tune and finished a few seconds after the others. Dumbledore smiled at the two; think how this next school year was going to be so quite with out them.

Someone yelled for him to make a wish and to blow out his candles; Harry closed his eyes and made his silent wish (please let me live through this) and then blew out the candles. Ginny handed him the knife to make the first cut into the cake and from there Molly Weasley cut pieces (the first going to Harry) and then passed other around to the other guests. Harry between bites thanked Ginny and Molly Weasley for such a great party and the best food he remembered having in a while. Remus had summoned the party favors to the table and everyone enjoyed seeing what they could get them to do. Bill, Charlie and to most of their surprise Dumbledore joined in on a miniature game of Quidditch; after three minutes the Quaffle's (red) beater bats (brown), bludgers (black), brooms (red and gold) and snitches (golden ball with silver wings all burst with red and gold sparks. When the sparks cleared there were candies, slips of paper (certificate for a free ice cream from Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour, free owl treats from the Owl Emporium), a few had sickles, a few Knuts and two golden Galleons.

With the left over favors being given to Harry; Harry decided to let the others at the table take what they wanted from what had come out of the party favors. Ginny taking over once more announced that it was time for the birthday boy to open his presents; Molly, Remus, Bill and Charlie cleaned the dishes off the table to make room for the "Presentation of Gifts" as Fred and George put it. It only took about five minutes to get everything cleaned up, dishes set to wash, rinse, dry and put them selves away. Chairs were set up so that everyone could watch Harry open his presents; Dumbledore conjured another Lazy Boy for Harry to set in while he opened the gifts right next to him. After everyone was seated Ginny stood to address the group of people gathered in the living room of Mrs. Figgs home.

"Harry, before we start giving you your presents; in what order do you want them or does it matter?"

"What," he said meekly.

"Who's present do you want to open first or do you want me to grab one and hand it to you?"

"Oh, um…just grab one I guess; isn't that the way it's supposed to be any way?"

"You are the birthday boy so it is your choice; mum said I should ask you how you want to do the present opening."

Harry looked at Ginny as if she were going to start laughing at him for being such a dunce; he just looked at her and said, "I can get them myself if you like; I don't want anyone making a fuss."

"Harry, no one is making a fuss; it's your birthday and you will sit there while I hand you your presents and there will be no argument."

"Ok" Harry said as the Weasley boys sniggered at him.

Ginny walked over to the table with all the presents; she looked over everyone in the room and then turned back to the presents. She picked up a small package and walked over to Harry.

"Now this one is from Bill," Ginny said with a smile.

Harry took the present and started opening it slowly; it was unnerving to have everyone watching him. It might have been different if he had grown up with having birthday parties with all his friends and family around. With the present being small it was taking him a long time to open it; from the crowed he heard Bill called out "Just tear it open for Merlin's sake Harry" and he let the nerves he was filling fall away and tore into the paper to open it. In side the package was a leather wand holder with H.J.P. done in gold lettering; Harry looked at Bill with awe.

"Thanks Bill; this is great, this will come in handy."

"Your welcome Harry; it's nothing really," Bill said with a bit of a blush.

Ginny was back with another package; It was from Charlie. Harry tore into this package and had it open with in seconds; there were two things with in the box. The first thing that Harry pulled out was a small book on Hungarian Horn Tail Dragons; "The History of Hungarian Horn Tail Dragons by Alabaster Trinkle" and a new pair of Dragon hide gloves.

"Thanks Charlie"

"Your Welcome Harry"

It did take long before Harry had almost all of his presents open; From Hermione he received a book (which was normal for her) "The Greatest Wizards to ever Live and the Evil Wizards they Defeated by Hanna and Eugene Bastel", from Ron he had received some chocolate frogs, peppermint Imps and to his surprise two Mars Bars (Mr. Weasley must have helped him get those), Fred and George had given Harry a few of their inventions from Weasley Wizard Wheezes and a note (it said "Do not open until you get home") and hid it from sight before anyone noticed. Tonks had given him a gift box of underwear (boxers with different wizarding designs on them) and had said "You can never have enough underwear" and had made Harry blush to the ends of his hair. Remus had given him a new satchel to carry his books; Remus had explained that it had belonged to Sirius. Remus also told him that it was charmed to never brake and that he could put all of his books in it and it would always be light as a feather.

Neville had given Harry a book on magical plants and how to us them, professor McGonagall had given him a book called "So you want to be an Auror" which made him smile. Molly and Arthur Weasley (he had arrived as the others were cleaning up after the cake) had given him his own hand for the Weasley clock (a picture was included to show it being added to the clock); Harry had gotten up out of his chair and hugged them both like his life had depended on it. All that was left for Harry to open was the presents from Draco and professor Dumbledore; Harry wasn't so sure about these gifts. Draco's present (Ron had a look of utter disgust and shock on his face) was nothing more then an envelope that contained a gift certificate for any magical snake from the pet store in Diagon Alley. After what had happened in Dumbledore's office at the end of term; Harry never expected to get anything from his headmaster.

Ginny brought over the two packages and handed them to Dumbledore (since he was sitting next to Harry) so that he could explain about the mysterious part of the present that he was supposed to receive on his sixteenth birthday. Dumbledore acted as he always did; aloft and evasive when he explained things.

"Harry, now I do hope that you will accept my gift to you; it is not much my boy but I do hope you will enjoy it for a long time."

"Thank you sir; I'm sure I will sir"

"Good, good; now this one is from me and after you open the gift I will enlarge the other one. You may decide to examine it here or wait until you return home tonight."

"Yes sir"

Harry took the first package and opened it with enmity but was surprised to find a clear globe; with in the globe was the solar system (wow I'll never have trouble in Astronomy again, he thought) and the instructions were lying in the bottom of the box.

"Sir, thank you so much but sir this is just too much."

"Harry, it is your sixteenth birthday and I do believe this will help you in your studies; so it is an appropriate gift for you or anyone else. Now my boy, the other part of your gift is not from me but from your parents. They would have been the one to give it to you today but alas that was not to be my boy and I am truly sorry for that. All I can tell you what about this trunk; it is a family trunk which holds things from members of the Potter family and things your parents added to it after they were married. Remus may be able to tell you more about what's in it and he can do that when he walks you all back to the Dursley's home; he will enlarge it for you there."

"Sir, um…thanks (Harry was having trouble breathing) so much; I…don't know…Sirius was to…for me…from my parents," Harry sat there with wide eyes and was not able to finish any thought that was going through his head.

"I know this will be hard for you since you know very little about them or their lives but I know it will be treasured by you and what you can learn about your father's family from what lies with in this trunk. I wish that this could have been brought to you better but it was most specific that you receive it on your sixteenth birthday; not before or not after but today."

"I understand sir, it's was just a bit of a surprise is all; thank you so much for making sure I got it on time sir."

"You are most welcome young man but alas it is time that I must be returning to Hogwarts; we are still in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I must return to interview the candidate that will arrive shortly; once again Harry happy birthday and I do hope you enjoy the rest of your evening," Dumbledore rose out of his chair and shook Harry's hand before going and saying his good-byes to the others.

Professor McGonagall hugged Harry slightly and moved to say good-bye to the others; Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and the twins moved over to where Harry was standing. Harry looked around the room again at all of his friends and the people that he thought of as family; he noticed that Draco stayed where he was when the others came over to him. It had been a great day for the Harry and really didn't want it to end; he wanted to stay with his friends and not have to return to the Dursley's home but knew he didn't have a choice at this time. The twins informed Harry that he would never have to pay for anything that came from their shop; all he would have to do is send an owl and he would have it.

Before they left Arthur offered to walk back to the Dursley's with Remus; he wanted to make sure everything (the charms he had set when he brought Ginny there) was still in order. Ginny knowing what he was talking about blushed but didn't say a word to anyone. Thanks were given to Mrs. Figg for the use of her home by everyone of the Weasley's and Harry. Hermione hugged Harry tight and told him she would see him soon; Ron and the rest of the Weasley males shook his hand and told him not to worry to much that they would all see him soon. Molly Weasley grabbed a hold of Harry and hugged him so tight he thought his eyes would pop out before she let him go.

"Harry dear, not to worry you will be home with us soon; you three be good and if you need anything at all just send an owl," she said with a large smile.

While Harry was saying good-bye to his friends Remus and Arthur shrunk all his gifts and got everything ready to head back to Privet drive. Molly had gathered all the left over food and had it ready for Harry and the others to take home with them; she would make sure they had food and would be eating properly. With reluctance Harry, Ginny, and Draco followed the two adults out the door for their walk back. Arthur and Remus let the three walk ahead of them and talked a bit about Order business. Once they arrived back at the Dursley home, Mr. Weasley made his way to Harry's room, checked over the charms he had put into place and enlarged the items he had carried. Remus was in the kitchen enlarging the food that Molly had sent with them; he let out a chuckle as he enlarged the inside of the refrigerator.

Looking at the three sitting at the table he said, "Molly sent you enough food to last a week; I just hope you can get it all eaten before your relatives get back."

Ginny giggled and said, "Don't worry about the food being wasted; we all will make sure it gets eaten. We don't want the muggles to get mad at Harry for any reason."

"They are supposed to be home in two days and there is a weeks worth of food here Ginny; how in the world are you going to eat all this food before then?"

"These (pointing at Harry and Draco with her thumb) two eat as much as Ron does, so that won't be a problem. I do have a bit of the Weasley apatite and can put a big enough dent in that food; you know that Ron could eat all that food in one day so no worries."

"If you say so, oh Arthur you're done; I just have to take Harry up to his room to enlarge the trunk Dumbledore gave. We shouldn't be long so why don't you sit down and chat with your lovely daughter before we head back to Mrs. Figgs house."

"Take your time Remus; Molly and the others have already left and I will catch up with them when we are done here."

Remus followed Harry up to his room; they talked a bit about what might be in the trunk and Remus promised that he would be there for him to answer any questions he had. Harry thanked him for the offer and told him that he would be sure to contact him with any questions he had. Thirty minutes later Remus and Harry joined the others in the kitchen. It surprised Remus to see all three of the sitting there snacking on the food that Molly had sent. He and Harry joined them at the table and talked for another thirty minutes before Mr. Weasley said it was time to leave; Molly would get worried if he was any later getting home.

By the time the three occupants of Privet drive went to bed that night over half of the food had been eaten. Harry fell asleep dreaming about his party and what a wonderful day he had had; Draco had a fitful night that night. Draco dreamed that his father and a few other deatheater's showed up at Privet drive to take him back to the dark lord; killing Ginny Weasley and taking Harry Potter with them. The dream had last most of the night; by morning he was soaked with sweat and was more tired then he had been yesterday. Someone would be to pick him up tomorrow and to a point he couldn't wait but he would also miss being here; Merlin if people knew he wanted to spend the rest of his summer with the Potter boy and the Weasley girl they would have his head on a silver platter.

The first of August was spent lounging around the house and watching TV shows and movies; Draco had kept his nightmare to himself and would do so unless something happened. By that night the mood around Privet drive was a somber one; Harry knew that he and Draco were by no means friends but they had come to an understanding. It had been a learning experience for the three and though he would not admit it to anyone, it was going to be hard to say good-bye to his old enemy.

**I am not going to let anything slip from the sixth book but for anyone that has not read the book; well you need to get up and head to the store and by your copy. It gives a lot of info about many things and you will not believe the ending…..Froggyy1**


	22. From the frying pan into the Fire

**Just a quick note to everyone; Chapter's 1 to 11 were written by SimplyComplex and chapter 12 helps explain why SimplyComplex had to stop writing this story and why I am the new author. This will be added to all chapters; as I feel it is important that everyone knows she started this story but I am honored to finish it for her…..Froggyy1**

**Chapter 22 is dedicated to SimplyComplex; with out her, this story would not have been started, and I would not have the honor to finish this story for her.**

**I know it has been a long time since I updated this story; life got in the way. I had to get a job, take care of my grandson while my daughter worked and never had time to set down and write. I have stopped working and am now able to spend some time writing when the grand son is asleep or after his mom gets home. I am going to do my best to get this finished up soon. I am only going to take this story up to the point of them getting on the train to return to school. I have a lot more to write on my story and I want to try and get both stories finished before this year is out. Thank you all for be patient and waiting for more chapters to be posted. On with the story….Froggyy1 **

**Chapter 22**

**From The Frying Pan into the Fire**

Before the sun rose the morning of the 2ed of August Draco Malfoy lay awake in his bed; he had been awake for hours due to the nightmare that had played out in his sleep. With a heavy heart Draco rose from his bed and gathered some clothes for the day; this would be his last day here and wasn't sure how he felt about it. On one hand he was eager to get away from his self imposed prison (that's what happens when you defy the Dark Lord, he thought) but it also made him a bit sad. His time spent with his number one enemy had been nothing he had ever expected in his entire life (it had turned his stomach when he first awoke to the faces of Saint Potter and the Weasley girl) but now when it was time for him to leave he wondered if things had been different from the start if he would have made friends with them. He had to laugh at himself as he climbed into the shower. As if that would have ever happened but he knew if he had not been raised the way he had, or believe in the pure-blood stuff and believed in the stories his father had told it might have happened. He now knew a lot of truths and these truths had dispelled a lot of the lies he had grown up with. As he soaped up and ridded his body of the sweat from his nightmares he mulled over some of the things he had learned so far.

Potter had grown up in this house with muggles; muggles that had treated him badly. Not spoiled like his father had said so many times in the past. There had not been riches at his disposal to spend any way he wanted (another lie), no elaborate birthday parties every year or Christmas' for that matter (another lie), no presents from the minister of magic (another lie), no fancy clothes (another lie), no maids taking care of his needs (another lie) and most of all not one bit of love and affection (how did he turn out so good he wondered). It had been hard to believe that the boy who lived had been bullied (the truth), mistreated (the truth), malnourished (the truth), unloved (the truth) and somewhat abused most of his life (the truth); had not known about the wizardinig world before getting his letter telling him he was expected at Hogwarts school at eleven years old (the truth) but he had learned all this in a span of almost four weeks. Draco shuddered a bit at the thought; he knew that even as bad as his father was he had been loved on some level by him and in his own sick way.

He knew that his mother loved him more then anything. His mother was on his mind all the time since that night and he wondered if she was alright; would his father do something to her because of him (he thought about this a lot these days) he just hoped that she was alright and that his father had not done anything to her. He also wondered when he would be able to see her again and if he did get to see her how she would treat him.

As he dressed he wondered who would be coming to get him later today and if they would be able to set it up where he could see his mother. He knew that if they could set it up it would have to be done carefully and in secret; if not his father would know where he was being kept safe and come after him and anyone else involved. He didn't want to put anyone in more danger and that included his mother.

Standing in front of the mirror he wondered what would happen when term started at school; would all of other students in his own house or even the whole school know what had happened to him over the summer and if he would be safe in his own house at school or walking the halls going to classes. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end just thinking about what might happen. Crabe and Goyle were just too stupid to do any thing on their own but some of the others like Zombie or Perkins were not stupid and they were just like their own fathers and like his father; he would have to watch his back if they knew anything about where he stayed during the summer.

Draco stood staring at himself in the mirror for a very long time; he didn't know how long he stood there or how long he had been in the loo but when a knock brought him back to the real world it startled him. Composing himself and gathering his night clothes he opened the door to find Ginny Weasley standing there. He stepped out of the loo, said "Morning" and then headed back to the bedroom. They had a full day planned today and he was going to make the best of it; he was going to enjoy everything like a normal teenaged boy would no matter what.

When he entered Harry's bedroom it was empty; Ginny was in the loo so that meant that Harry was either out in the back yard enjoying his cup of tea and had been watching the sun rise or he was already inside and making breakfast for everyone. After making sure everything was packed in his trunk for his departure later that day; Draco headed down to the kitchen to see if he could help Harry with breakfast. He had decided that he would even help with the dishes today so they could get out of the house as soon as they could; he wanted to spend as much time outside because he knew he might not be allowed to after he left Privet Dr.

Harry Potter woke up at five in the morning and could not go back to sleep; as most of his mornings stated after waking up he showered and got ready for his day. Last night had been a rough night for him because Voldemort and his followers had been busy attacking both muggle and wizarding family's. To his horror he had watched Lucas Malfoy cause pain and destruction to a whole village in the northern part of England; a wizarding community between Penrith England and Carlisle Scotland. It did not matter to the deatheater that he not only killed the grown men and women but the children as well; it broke Harry's heart as he watched what they did to the female population. The single men and a few of the boys were killed out right, but others were made to watch as the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters were beaten, raped and then killed slowly just to add to the heartache of those who had to watch. Voldemort biggest goal was that he wanted to put a scare in to the wizarding world and with these types of murders and attacks he was succeeding to do just that.

As he watched the sun rise he shuddered from the chill of remembering what had happened last night and early this morning and wishing he could forget what he witnessed. He had sat and cried when he first reached the garden, and it was the first time he had cried and he did this for all the people that had died so far; he knew there would be more before the end came. He just hoped he could live up to what people though he was supposed to do and that he could live with himself after it was over.

While sitting out side he thought about Malfoy and what was going to happen to him when school started, they were not friends but they had come to an understanding just after he showed up at Privet Dr. To be honest with himself he didn't want anyone else to die because of him. He knew he would be safe at Hogwarts until term started but after that he was sure one of his old buddies would try to hurt him or worse kill him for turning his back on Voldemort.

He knew more then anyone else that just because the father, mother, or siblings were one way did not mean that the son or daughter would turn out the same way or even one spouse could be good and one bad. Sirius was one of those people that did not take after his family and had turned out believing in the good side, equality, understanding, and most of all love and not Voldemort's side of bigotry, bias, prejudice, slavery, and hate like his parents wanted him to be.

Harry had to make himself come out of his thoughts so that he could get breakfast started, Harry had decided to make porridge this morning so that they would be able to wait until later in the afternoon before they had lunch so that they could cram in as much fun as they could. Since today was Draco's last day here they all wanted to get an early start and they had a lot of plans made for the day like going to the park, a movie, window shopping, lunch, maybe swimming, or anything else they thought of during the day. Just as Harry was setting the table Draco came into the kitchen and started helping him with out a word. Once the table was set he told Harry that Ginny was in the shower and would be done soon. Toast was made and buttered and set on the table followed by the porridge just as Ginny came into the kitchen. The three sat in silence and ate their breakfast and as one they stood at the same time, took their dishes to the sink and proceeded to clean the kitchen.

It didn't take long for the three teens to get the kitchen cleaned and to get everything ready for their day out of fun and a bit of freedom, this summer Harry had had more freedom then he had ever had in his life besides his time at Hogwarts. By the time this day was over it would be just himself and Ginny (not including the Dursley's who were to return tonight) and he wasn't sure how long it would be before they would return to the Borrow for the rest of the summer. He couldn't wait to see Ron or Hermione and catch up with what all they had done over the summer. He knew that Hermione would have been on Ron's case about doing his summer homework and making sure it was all finished and done right. Harry had completed his a long time ago so that he would be able to focus on fun for once and it helped that the Dursley's weren't around to make him do all the work around the house.

With a smile on their faces the three teens left the house at eight-thirty and headed for the bus stop, they had decided to head to the public pool first and would stay for three hours. They arrived at the pool at nine and played pool games with some of the other teens there, a quit a bit of swimming, Ginny did a bit of sunbathing (which made Harry a bit uncomfortable), Draco tried to hit on every pretty girl there with tales of a far away boarding school, travel and mystery with hopes that he could hook up with one of them for the day. Noon time came to quick for the three teens and much too quick for Draco and with his failed attempts to woo any of the young lady's at the pool would leave as he came with no date. With showers done quickly for Draco and Harry and A little bit longer for Ginny they headed to the bus stop to catch a bus into the main part of Surrey; so they could see a movie that started at one and site see afterwards.

The movie they went to see was one of the hottest movies of the year, which was Independence Day. Once they bought their tickets, popcorn and sodas they found seats at the very top (so they could see it from the best spot) and with a warning from Harry about not talking during the movie they got comfortable and waited for the movie to start. Everyone ooed, ahhed, or clapped, and booed with the audience in all the right places. Once the movie was over Ginny, Draco and Harry were talking nonstop about the plot and how all the different things were done in the movie (special effects and the like) and speculating if there were really aliens out there somewhere.

Harry told about how every now and then there were reports on the Telly about UFO's (Unidentified Flying Objects he explained to them) and how there were beings out there some where. Harry also said to them, "Well I never believed there were really witches or wizards or even a school for that matter and I was proven wrong so maybe there are aliens out there some where." With that comment made the other two had to agree with his statement and believe that there might be aliens out there and that maybe one day they would get to meet one. Ginny seemed to be excited at the prospect of meeting an alien but Draco wasn't so sure he would really like to meet one face to face.

After the movie they walked around town for a while to see what all was there and decide where they wanted to eat lunch; Harry wanted something normal, Ginny wanted to try some fast food restaurant, and Draco wanted to eat at a fancy restaurant and have a seven course meal (that way he could have the best of the muggle world before he returned to his own magical world) but in the end Harry picked out a nice restaurant that had good food, nice décor outside and inside and would not cost him a small fortune. While they ate they talked about normal teenage things, what they thought the next school year would be like, who the new DADA professor would be and what all they would like to learn this coming year. By the time they left the restaurant it was half past five and Harry knew they needed to be back to the house before the Dursley's returned home. The less they saw of them the less friction would occur with there being an extra person staying there that was not there when they left.

Their next stop would be a gift shop. At the gift shop Ginny and Draco wanted to pick out a gift for Mrs. Figg to show her how much they appreciated all the help she had given them all over the summer. Ginny picked out a wind chime that had different cats on it and Draco picked out different planters that she could used to grow any types of herbs or plants she wished to grow and Harry decided to get her a new pair of slippers that looked like one of her casts. With the gifts bought they headed down the street to the market to buy anything they needed to replace what they had used and some extra food so that his Uncle Vernon would not blow a gasket that HIS food was used to feed the FREAKS in his home and to find an extra person there was going to cause enough trouble.

With the shopping done they all headed for the bus stop so that they could reach Privet Dr. quicker, stop by Mrs. Figgs to give her the presents and maybe have time to stop by the park to relax a bit before returning to the house. By the time they got off the bus and stopped by Mrs. Figgs it was already six-thirty, which left no time to stop at the park. They stayed long enough to give Mrs. Figg her gifts (which she told them all that they hadn't needed to get her anything) and then headed back towards Privet Dr. Harry wanted time to get everything put away and hidden in his room before the Dursley's got home and he hopped that who ever was coming to get Draco would get there before his family returned.

By they time they reached #4 Privet Dr. it was five till seven, the three walked around to the back of the house because that was the only key Harry had and so that they could get the food put up as soon as they got inside. When Harry reached the back door it was unlocked which alarmed him; this put his mind into motion to trying and remember if he had double checked it before they left that morning. Worry and fear took over to the point he almost panicked.

"Ginny I want you to go straight to my room and floo call your mum and dad, let them know we came home and the house was unlocked. It could be nothing but I want us to be safe after the attack by the Dementor's, Draco's father and the other deatheaters, Draco you and I will check out the house just to make sure because it could be that my family are back from their trip. When your done Ginny come back to the kitchen and wait for us if we aren't back yet ok?"

"Alright Harry, just you and Draco be careful alright."

"We will Ginny and don't worry it won't take your parents or the Order long to get here."

With that Ginny ran up to Harry's room, grabbed some floo powder and placed her head in to the green flames. "Mum, dad is any body there?" She waited a few seconds before she called out again.

"Mum, dad, Ron, Fred, George is anyone there?"

This time she heard the heavy footfalls coming down the stairs and waited to see who it would be to arrive in their kitchen. To her relief it was five of her six brothers and she proceeded to tell them why she was calling and what was going on at the house. Bill explained to Ginny that there had been two separate meetings at headquarters that night and her parents had not arrived home yet (Dumbledore had wanted to speak to them privately which was the second meeting) and then sent Charlie to headquarters to get anyone who happened to still be there.

Bill told Ginny to get back to the others and that help would be there soon and to try not to worry but if they had to get out fast to floo to the Borrow quickly and to throw in the new blocking floo powder (thanks to the twins) after they came through so no one could follow them.

Ginny's head disappeared and Bill then instructed Ron to stay close to the fireplace just incase the occupants (Ginny, Harry and Draco) had to be evacuated quickly and for him to keep the blocking floo with him so he could throw it in as soon as the last one was through. Bill, Fred, and George told Ron not to worry too much, to stay away from the windows and to try not to eat all the food and then headed out the back door to the spot designated for Apparition.

While Ginny was upstairs making the floo call Harry and Draco started checking the house; first was the living room since they were down stairs. After checking and making sure the front door was still locked and bolted, checking everywhere that someone could hide. Harry even checked the cupboard under the stairs and then they both headed up the stairs. The spare room was empty; they knew Ginny was in Harry's room alone, because if she wasn't then they would have heard someone being hexed by now or worse.

Harry started to open his Aunt's door to their room but decided not to touch his Aunt and Uncle's room because he knew Vernon Dursley would have it rigged so he would know if Harry had been inside their room (which until now had never wanted to) so he could have a reason to punish him. Once he got to Dudley's room he decided that it would be best and safest not to tempt fate because his cousin's room was probably rigged too; yet another reason to punish Harry if they found out he had even touched the door.

Not sure if they had just left the backdoor unlocked or if there was something else going was debatable but with finding everything upstairs in order Harry and Draco headed back down stairs to the kitchen. Harry just hopped who ever was coming for Draco would get there before his Aunt and Uncle arrived home.

They decided to put away every thing they had bought in town (Ginny comes in as they are working); at least his Uncle couldn't complain about there not being any food in the house. Harry knew he had gone overboard with the food and other things they had bought but he didn't care and didn't want any trouble from his relatives over any of it or about the people who were in the house using up thing that his money had bought.

They were half way through putting away the grocery's when they heard foot steps coming down the stairs and stopped what they were doing; each pulling out their wands and tried to act normal with putting things away. It didn't take long before the kitchen door swung open to reveal his Uncle, Aunt and his cousin Dudley behind him. The look on Vernon Dursley's face could be described as priceless (to Ginny and Draco) but Harry he knew what was coming next and kept his wand in his hand just incase he had to fight his way back to his room (Ginny had told them what Bill had said about the floo) to get out.

Vernon walked into the kitchen looking like whole neighborhood knew he had these freaks in his home. He was mad; no he thought "I an piss beyond comprehension and that boy is going to pay". Petunia and Dudley stood off to the side so that they could see what Vernon was going to do but be out of the way as not to be involved in the mess.

Petunia had to hold onto her son and kept telling him to stay put with the words "Let your father handle this Dudders we don't want those freaks putting a spell on you. You have to remember your Boxing Dudders".

"**BOY WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS…..WHO IS THAT BOY……AND WHAT IS HE DOING IN MY HOUSE".**

"Uncle Vernon Let me"

"**DON'T YOU INTERRUPT ME BOY OR YOU WILL BE RIGHT BACK IN YOU OLD ROOM DO YOU UNDERSTAND"?**

"Yes sir"

**"I SAID DON'T INTERRUPT ME BOY. YOU ARE A GOOD FOR NOTHING FREAK. WE HAVE RAISED YOU, FEED YOU, CLOTHED YOU OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF OUR HEARTS AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO REPAY US; YOU BRING IN THESES…THESE FREAKS…LET THEM EAT OUR FOOD WITH OUT PAYING FOR IT…..WE WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO LET THAT GIRL STAY BECAUSE OF THAT HEAD MAN FROM YOUR SCHOOL BUT NOT THAT…BOY…OR…ANYONE….ELSE".**

As Vernon talked he moved around the kitchen table so that he could get closer to his nephew. He was going to that boy and his freaky friends what happened when you didn't follow the rules in his house. As Vernon was moving around the kitchen Harry told Ginny and Draco that if his Uncle started getting physical to make a run for his room and get out. The two shook their heads yes in understanding but it was wasted on deaf ears; for neither were going to leave him there alone to get the stuffing beat out of him.

Harry heard key words at such a loud volume that would make some people go deaf like you freak, his normal Boy at the top of his lungs, those freaks, we good, our hearts, give you what you deserve boy and a lot of his normal ranting and raving. His steady movement kept Harry on his guard to the point he knew exactly where his Uncle was at all times. Harry didn't want Ginny or Draco to get hurt because of him and he really didn't want them to see him get a beating. Harry was used to his Uncle's ways but the other two weren't but that didn't stop Vernon Dursley because in his next breath he grabbed Harry by the collar of his shirt and started shaking him as he yelled at him about those freaks in his house and himself.

Ginny and Draco didn't know what to do; they knew that if they used their wands to stop Mr. Dursley they would be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic for the use of Magic and being underage. They would not be defending themselves but would be defending Harry and the Ministry would not allow that. Ginny knew it wouldn't be long before someone got there from the Order but what damage that man could do to Harry before they arrived could be deadly.

Within seconds Vernon Dursley went from shaking Harry and yelling at him to slapping him about his head and yelling at him. Harry kept yelling for Ginny and Draco to get out but they would not leave him there alone. Harry manage to pull away from Vernon and pull his wand out where his Uncle could see it but that just made his Uncle even madder and started turning many different shades of red, violet, and purple to name a few and as he spoke the spit came flying out of his mouth and went after his nephew again.

Once he got a hold of Harry again he started with the beating; hitting him with a fist in the face many times, the stomach twice and knocked the wind out of him and then when he fell to his knees he started kicking him any where he could. It seemed like hours had went by as the hits came but it had only been a few minutes and when the back door blew off its hinges Harry was able to get his breath back slowly.

Lucky for Charlie there were many members of the Order still at headquarters including Professor Dumbledore who had just finished talking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Within seconds of his arrival at headquarters Charlie told them that Ginny had flooed that something was wrong at #4 Privet Dr., and that they needed help. To be safe so no one would get splinched they Apparated at 30 second intervals with instructions to move away from the apparition point and one at a time Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fred, George and Charlie Weasley, professor Dumbledore, Moody, Remus and Tonks arrived in front #6 Privet Dr.

Molly Weasley was the first one to apparate onto Privet Dr. and when she moved off the apparition point she just kept moving towards #4, Arthur was the second one to arrive and had to take off after his wife; calling after his wife to wait on the others. Molly being a mother and her youngest child and only daughter being in that house she was not going to wait on anyone she had to make sure her child was safe. As Molly approached the house she could her that man yelling all the way out to the street and made her way to the back of the house where the noise was coming from; Arthur not far behind her.

As Molly came in the back yard she heard Harry yelling for Ginny and Draco to get out of there; which made her move faster because she didn't know if they were being hurt. When she arrived at the back door she could not believe her eyes; there standing in the middle of the kitchen was Harry's Uncle beating on the boy she considered a son. She stood there in shock for a few seconds before she got really mad and blew off the back door to the Dursley's home.

As she entered the house she hit Vernon Dursley with many spells, hexes, and charms including Scourgify, silencio, the Stinging Hex, and the Full Body Bind. As Arthur Weasley get to the house he puts a silencio on the house so that the neighbors can't hear what is going on or call the police because of the noise. By this point Petunia Dursley starts screaming that the freak is killing her husband and for some one to call the police to help him. Dudley stays behind his mother for protection because he doesn't want another tail like he had received five years ago.

Ginny and Draco by this time have pulled Harry away from the mess and try to tend to Harry. Vernon had beat him so bad his nose was bleeding, his lip was cut and bleeding, he had a cut below his left eye, burses were already coming up all over his body from the hits and kicks that Vernon had landed on his body. Ginny wasn't for sure but she felt for sure his right arm might be broken and hoped her mother would calm down soon so that she or Tonks could heal Harry.

By the time Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks and the rest of the Weasley's got to the house hell (Molly) was breaking lose and Arthur could not get her under control. Dumbledore sizing up what was going on; stunned Molly (I'm sorry Molly he said under his breath as he did do) and took control of the mess. First he and Tonks checked to make sure Ginny, Draco and Harry were alright; Remus and Arthur went to deal with Petunia and Dudley. When he saw the shape Harry was in he went to work to stop the bleeding and to check him over to see what else was wrong with him before he tried to heal anything. After checking Harry over and discovering that the boy did have a broken arm, ruptured spleen, many bruised muscles and a few other minor injuries Dumbledore went to work healing Harry to Ginny's relief. Once Harry was healed and stable Dumbledore started giving out orders.

"Petunia and Dudley please have a seat at the table and I will take care of your husband, but know this; if he even starts to get out of control again I will put him under a spell that will let him hear what is happening but he will not be able to move or speak is that understood"?

Petunia nodded yes to show she understood but the look of terror on her face made the man smile inside. He knew she would not cause any trouble and knew he was mad at what her husband had done to the boy.

Dumbledore work Molly up and got her calmed down enough to listen to what he had to say. She was not happy with the headmaster but she knew she had went a bit overboard with the punishment she had dealt out to that man.

"Good, now Ginny, Draco and Harry please go up stairs and get your things packed; Molly will be going with you so that it can be done quickly. We will be leaving here in fifteen minutes and going first to headquarters. Once we get there we will make the arrangements for Draco to be picked up and the rest of you sent to the Burrow".

Harry had to move a bit slower then the others so Ginny and Draco went up first followed by Harry and then Molly. Once inside the room Draco explained that his stuff was already packed and that if she wanted his help to pack Harry's he would help her.

Molly made Harry lay down on his bed and told the other two to just set out of her way and that she would take care of the packing. With a swish of her wand Ginny's clothes, shoes, books and other things came flying out of different places, folded themselves and then packed themselves in her trunk. With Ginny's trunk packed Molly then again swished her wand and did the same for Harry's things; before Ginny would let her close up the trunk she got down on the floor and moved the board and pulled out the things Harry kept hidden there and added them to his trunk. She ordered them to stay put while she levitated the trunks down the stairs and into the kitchen so they would be close to the back door; which was where they were going to be leaving out of.

Molly walked in just as Dumbledore was going off on Vernon Dursley and Molly was glad to hear him tell that awful man that they would not remember what happened tonight but would remember that Harry would be returning at the end of the your for the last time and that they would be decent to him while he was in their home. Molly left to retrieve the three upstairs while Dumbledore took care of the muggles memory's; she wanted out of that devils house as soon as she could and would be having a talk with Mrs. Figg later in the week about when Harry returned to this house.

By the time Molly and her three charges came back down the stairs and into the kitchen the Dursley's sitting quietly at the table drinking tea. They looked up and saw who it was and went back to their tea as if nothing had happened that night or that there was nothing was wrong. It didn't take long to have them all out side in the back yard with their trunks; Dumbledore making a port-key to get everyone there quickly and safely and Harry smiling just knowing that it would be next year before he had to come back to this house again.

Once arriving at headquarters Molly put her sons to work getting Harry and Ginny's trunks into the parlor and out of the way. Professor Snape was waiting there to take Draco to a safe place until school started; with a no-nonsense attitude he took another port-key from Dumbledore and was gone in a flash. Bill headed down to the kitchen to inform Ron that every thing was fine and under control. He also let him know that they all would be coming through the floo in about five minutes and to make sure to help every one get out of the way quickly so the rest could come through.

Dumbledore had a quiet word with Molly and Arthur before Arthur went through the floo first. After that Bill went through with Ginny's trunk and was followed by Charlie with Harry's trunk. Ginny followed after Charlie and then was followed by the twins. Dumbledore let Harry know that he would be by later that next day to talk to him about what happened and to not worry about anything until then and sent him on his way through the floo to the Weasley's.

By the time Harry arrived his trunk was already up in Ron's room, Ginny was in bed (laying there thinking about what Vernon did to Harry), Ron was waiting for him in the living room with his parents. Harry knew they were going to want to talk about what happened before they arrived (he didn't know what all they saw) and he knew he really didn't want to talk about it tonight; so when Molly just walked up and hugged him and said good night he was in shock. He was happy that is all she did but it was not like Molly Weasley to just not say a word.

With good nights said, showers taken, and dressed for bed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley lay down on their beds and went to sleep.


End file.
